Understanding
by koneko09
Summary: When Catherine and Michio Shinomori visit a dojo in Japan, they get swept back in time, and meet some very interesting people. OC/OC with a little K/K and A/M
1. The Decendants

Sadly, just like everyone else here, I do not one RK.....sigh

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Chapter One-The decendants

"Shinta! Aoshi! Time to come in for dinner!" a young woman called. Catherine was an American woman who had been married happily for seven years.

Her husband, Michio Shinomori, was a Japanese genetics reasearch engineer, who came to the U.S. as a teenager with his parents. They had two beautiful boys, Shinta, age six, and Aoshi, age five. They were exepecting two more, she was six months along with twin girls. They had already picked out names, Kaoru and Misao.

"Coming okaa-san!" the boys cried. It was a beautiful summer day, and the two brothers took advantage of the sun to play. They ran into the house and straight into their mother's arms. Catherine laughed and embraced them.

"What? No hug for your otou-san?" said Michio as he entered through the front door, home from work. The boys laughed and jumped on their father.

"Alright boys, go wash your hands and then come to the table," said Catherine. "Hai okaa-san!" Shinta and Aoshi replied, running to the kitchen sink.

" They always seem to have so much energy, don't they?" Sighed Catherine. "I can barely keep up!"

" They're young boys, koishii, of course they're going to be running everywhere. Just wait until they're older, they may slow down a bit," replied Michio. "

"I don't think so. Most teenage boys are hasing girls and getting into trouble!" replied Catherine. Michio laughed and embraced his wife. "Well, let's just hope that we teach them well and that it stays with them."

At that moment, Shinta and Aoshi came into the dining room and sat down at the table. "Oka-san's food smells delicious!" Cried Shinta. " It's always yummy." said Aoshi.

Dinner went on like usual. This night, they were all eating pasta, so both Shinta and Aoshi were slurping their noodes, seeing who could slurp the longest. Michio ended up joining in his boys' competition, but sadly lost to Shinta. "I win!" he cried. "

"Alright alright," said Catherine chuckling. "It's time for you boys,including you, " giving Michio a pointed look," to get cleaned up and ready for bed." " Awww..." all three groaned. Catherine got up and started clearing the table as the two children and their father made their way to the bathroom to wash up.

While Catherine was at the sink doing dishes, Michio returned. " They're all washed up and ready to be tucked in," he said, embracing his wife from behind. " Alright," she replied while wiping her hands on her apron. Michio let her go, and she went to the children's bedroom. When she arrived, she found them both sitting up in their beds, with the blankets up to their waists.

" It's my turn to pick the story tonight, okaa-san," said Shinta.

"Alright, what would you like to hear?" she replied.

"I want the one about the samurai!" he said excitedly.

" That's one of my favorites too," she said. Soon, the children had fallen asleep to their mother's soothing voice, telling them all about the red-headed samurai who wandered Japan.

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a/n As you all can probably guess, I'm new! This is my first story, EVER! Yayness!!


	2. The Trip

Chapter Two- The Trip

The next morning, Catherine awoke, got out of bed, and went downstairs to make breakfast, only to find her husband standing over the stove cooking. As she entered the kitchen, Michio turned to her and said, " Good morning koishii. I thought I'd let you sleep in this morning." Catherine gave him a confused look. " That's very thoughtful of you, but aren't you supposed to be at work?"

Michio grinned. "Well, I got a call before I headed out this morning from a very important person. in Japan."

Catherine's eyes widened. " You don't mean..."

" Yes, yes I do."

" They really found it?! It's still there?!" Catherine was so excited.

Michio chuckled at his wife's reaction. " Yes, they found the dojo. It took them a while, but they found it. It's in the outskirts of Tokyo. They had to do inspections to double check if it's the one or not."

" I can't believe it," Catherine breathed. " Wait, that still doesn't explain why you're not at work, mister!" Catherine said.

Michio just smiled even wider and said, " Well, after i found out the news, i called my boss and asked if I could take a vacation to visit my family roots."

" You mean,we're going to Japan?!" Catherine said.

"Yes, koishii. Our flight leaves at noon," Michio replied. Catherine squealed and ran straight at her husband, nearly toppling him over when she embraced him. Catherine suddenly let go. "I've got to pack!" she cried, went as fast as she could toward her room.

Michio chuckled as his wife made her way back to their bedroom. He knew she would be pleased. Ever since he met her, she loved digging into her family history. She discovered three months ago the real last name of her great-grandfather. It was Himura. Since that discovery, she had been trying to find all the information she could about her family background. With Michio's help, she found out that he was the grandson of the lengendary Hitokiri Battousai, Himura Kenshin and his wife, Kamiya Kaoru. They had learned all about his life, except from his childhood. They couldn't seem to gather any information from before he was seven. Michio had had some of his cousins who lived in Kyoto do some digging to help out. This morning's phone call was from his cousin, Jiro, telling him that they had finally found the dojo where Kenshin had resided. During his musings, Michio started to smell something burning. "oh no!" He cried. The bacon and eggs he had in the skillet was burnt to a crisp. " Maybe we'll just have pancakes this morning..."

Shinta and Aoshi had woken up to their mother's squeals of excitement. They walked into the kitchen rubbing thier eyes.

" Why is okaa-san so happy?" Aoshi asked sleepily.

"Well, boys," Michio said, squatting down to their level, "It's because we are all going on a trip."

"Where are we going?" asked Shinta,

"We're going...to Japan!" replied their father opening his arms wide as if showing a big surprise.

"Really?!" Both boys squealed and jumped on their father. Michio laughed as he fell to the ground with his sons on top of him.

"Yes, yes, we're leaving the house in about two hours, so I need you boys to get ready then come and eat breakfast."

"Hai otou-san!" they replied. Michio smiled as Shinta and Aoshi raced back to their room. _'I'll pack their suitcases after breakfast' _he thought.

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Two hours later, they Shinomori family was on there way to the airport. Catherine was so excited she couldn't sit still. "Koishii, you're just as bad as the boys," Michio said, covering his wife's hand with his own, trying to settle her down. " I know I know, it's just...too exciting!" She said. " I knew I should've made you teach me to speak Japanese! Why did I learn French in high school! Oh, that's right, because they didn't offer Japanese!" Catherine was now rambling, trying to figure out how she was going to communicate with the people there. "Calm down, Koishii. They boys know enough from their grandmother and you know that if we had the time, I would've taught you. At least you know a few words and can sing in Japanese. You can entertain the people we meet instead of talking to them!" Catherine glared at her husband, " You're right,....I do know a few words,like.....MICHIO NO BAKA!" she yelled and hit him on the head. "Itai!" he replied rubbing the sore spot. Aoshi and Shinta laughed in the backseat.

"Hit him again, okaa-san!" they cried.

"You know, the boys have a good idea," Catherine said, glaring at her husband.

" Gomen, koishii! Gomen! I surrender!"

" Alright,anata. I forgive you."

"Awww...we wanted to see okaa-san beat otou-san!" Shinta and Aoshi whined.

" Maybe some other time," replied their mother.

"In the far, far future..." muttered Michio under his breath.

"What was that?" asked Catherine, glaring at her husband.

"Nothing Koishii! I was just saying to myself how much I love you and our children so much..." replied Michio, hoping his wife would buy it.

"Hmm...well I love you too, and I'm sure the boys do as well...don't you boys?"

"Hai!"

_'Phew,'_ thought Michio. _'That was a close one.'_

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The family of four finally reached the airport and had made it through security with no problems at all. After about twenty minutes of waiting, they boarded onto the plane_.'This is it. I'm finally going to see how my ancestors lived.'_ Thought Catherine. Michio stood next to his wife, holding their carry-on bags.

"Are you ready, koishii?" he asked.

"Yes, let's go," she replied, holding her sons' hands and walking on the plane.

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a/n dun dun dun dun! (Super hero music) Chapter two is finished!!


	3. The Akebeko

Chapter Three- The Akebeko

"Finally! We're in Tokyo!" Catherine said while stretching her arms.

"That was a long flight, wasn't it?" said Michio, glancing at Shinta and Aoshi who had fallen asleep immediately after putting on their pajamas.

"I'm just glad to finally have a bed to sleep on! Those seats weren't that comfortable!" Catherine whined.

"Michio chuckled and walked to his wife, embracing her and giving her a kiss on the forehead. " Rest now koishii. I'll call Jiro and see if he can give me directions to the dojo."

"You should rest too anata," Catherine yawned, snuggling closer to his warmth.

" Aa, i will, after I call Jiro."

Catherine just nodded her head, released her husband, and crawled into bed. After Michio talked with Jiro, he went out into town for a little while. When he returned, he changed into his pajamas, crawled into bed next to his wife, took her into his arms, and fell asleep.

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A few hours later, Catherine awoke to the feel of her husband's gaze. "hello," he whispered. "hello to you," she replied just as softly.

"We should probably get up," Catherine said.

"Yeah, probably," he replied, pulling her closer.

"Anata!" she said, trying to break free.

"Just a while longer, koishii," he whined.

"Hmph..." Catherine then smiled evilly.

"Koishii, what are you thinking..." Michio asked, worried about that smirk.

"Nothing...just..this!" she said and began tickling him.

"Stop! Koishii! Koneko! I give up! I give up!" Michio laughed, gasping for air.

"Oka-san? Otou-san? What are you doing?" asked a sleepy Shinta. Aoshi was up beside him yawning.

"Nothing sweetie, just tickling your father..."

"Can I help?!" he replied, immediately wanting to play.

"Not if I get you first!" Michio cried, grabbing his son and tickling him.

" Me too! Me too!" Aoshi cried.

Catherine reached for him, and there was an all-out tickle fight on the hotel bed. Laughter was floating all around the room. Twenty minutes later found Shinta and Aoshi pinned under their father while Catherine tickled both. " Okay! Okay! We surrender! We surrender!" They cried laughing. "Alright, I think we've had enough," said Catherine, laughing. "We've probably disturbed everyone in this hotel!"

"I guess you're right. Okay! Time to go out and get some dinner!" said Michio.

"Yay!" the boys cried, jumping off the bed.

"I don't think we should go out in our pajamas, anata," said Catherine.

"Why not? Maybe we'll start a new trend!" Michio said, having completely forgotten that they had changed into their pajamas when they reached the hotel. Shinta and Aoshi giggled at their father while Catherine just shook her head, smiling. "Alright boys, we should probably do what your mother wants. By the way, I have already picked out what you're all going to wear." Michio pulled out a gi and hakama for each of the boys and a beautiful blue kimono for his wife.

"Anata, when did you..." Catherine trailed off fingering the fabric of her new outfit.

"I went out while you were all sleeping this morning and picked them up," he replied smiling.

"That was very thoughtful of you....but I don't know how to put on a kimono!"

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After everyone had gotten dressed,(Catherine had a little help from her husband) Michio led his family down the street to an old restaurant near by.

"Anata, what is this place?" Catherine asked.

Michio smiled,"This, koishii, is the Akebeko."

"The original? Like from my great-great-great-grandfather's time?"she asked in wonder.

"It's not the exact same one, but it's at the same location, and it's set up the same. It's very traditional."

"Ah, so that's why you got us in this attire," Catherine concluded.

Michio nodded and held the door open for his wife and children.

"Konnichiwa! We would like a table for four please," Michio asked the hostess in Japanese.

"Konnichiwa! Follow me," she replied.

Catherine was in awe. Everywhere she looked sparked her interest. Each table was low to ground with pillows for people to kneel or sit on. Also, each had three walls around to separate them from other tables. Their table had four sets of chopsticks and a menu in the middle._'It's a good thing I know how to use chopsticks,' _she thought_.'_The hostess bowed and walked to the front. Then the waitress came by.

"Hello! My name is Akiko and I will be your waitress this evening. Do you already know what you would like, madam?" the waitress asked Catherine.

"Oro?" she said.

"Oro! Oro!" Shinta mimicked. Aoshi was giggling at his mother and brother, while Catherine just blushed.

"Gomen, my wife doesn't speak Japanese," Michio intervened, smiling. _'I love it when she's confused and blushing. I haven't heard her say 'oro' in a long time' _he thought.

"Ah, sumimasen...do you know what she would like?"

"I think we'll all just share a beef pot, with some green tea to drink," he replied.

"Alright, I'll give your order to the cook and be right back with your tea."

"Arigatou."

"So, what are we having, anata?" Catherine asked, assuming he had placed their order.

" Otou-san asked for a beef pot! Yummy!" interupted Shinta loudly.

" Shinta use an indoor voice please," Catherine reprimended.

"Hai okaa-san, gomen," he replied sad that he made his mother upset.

"It's alright, Shinta," she replied, smiling at him.

Shinta smiled back, happy to know that he was forgiven.

The waitress came back and put down a cup in front of each person. Then, she placed the pot of tea in front of Catherine. When everything was in place, she bowed and walked back to kitchen to get their food.

"Catherine," Michio called.

"Hmm..." she said looking at him.

"Traditionally the women pour the tea and serve meals for the family...but if you don't want to...it's alright and I'll do it," Michio said.

"Not it's alright...ummm..." she replied, trying to figure out how to pour it without getting her sleeves in the way.

Michio just smiled and said, "I'll show you, then you can do it, okay?"

Catherine smiled sheepishly, "Okay."

After seeing how Michio poured the tea, Catherine mimicked his movements, but ended up spilling a little bit on her hand. "Ouch!" she cried.

Michio moved to his wife and took her hand in his. "It's not that bad, but I have a little bit of aloe in my pocket." He brought out the lotion and rubbed it on his wife's burn.

"There, all better," he said,gazing into his wife's eyes.

"Thank you, anata," she replied and gave him a quick peck.

"Eeeww!" Shinta and Aoshi cried. Michio and Catherine chuckled at their reaction.

"Just wait until you're both older, you'll enjoy it too," Michio said.

"Never!" they replied.

By that time, the waitress had come back with their food. She set the beef pot in the center of the table and a smaller pot of white rice next to it.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" Akiko asked.

"Iie, I think we're all set, domo," Michio replied. The waitress bowed and walked away.

"I think I should serve us, koishii," Michio said.

"I think that's a good idea too, anata," Catherine replied.

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a/n If any of you are wondering ,I based Shinta's character after one of my nephews...he's always very loud and likes to be the center of attention.


	4. The Dojo

Chapter Four- The Dojo

The next morning, Michio had awoken the same time his wife had. Shinta and Aoshi were still asleep, so the two of them decided to get things ready before they woke up. An hour later, Shinta and Aoshi were up, and under their parents orders ,got dressed, brushed their teeth, and brushed their hair. After they were ready, they ate breakfast and the family headed out the door to their rental car.

_'This is it,' _Catherine thought. _'I finally get to see the dojo.'_

An hour later, the family of four found themselves outside the dojo. In front of the gates was none other than Michio's cousin Jiro.

"Long time no see, Michio!" Jiro greeted. "This must be your beautiful wife, Catherine and your kids, eh?"

"Yes, this is Shinta," patting the red-headed boy on the head, "And this is Aoshi," patting the black-haired boy's head.

"I must say, you guys make some pretty cute kids!" replied Jiro.

Michio laughed and said," Of course! We're bound to have cute kids with someone as handsome as me! I can't wait to see what our girls will look like. We'll probably have to constantly keep boys away!"

Catherine was just standing there smiling, and whispering to herself,"oro?"

"Oh! Koishii ,I'm sorry, this is my cousin, Jiro," Michio said in English.

Jiro said," Pleased to meet you, Catherine," in perfect English.

Catherine sighed in relief. "I thought I was going to be left in the dark! I'm so glad you speak English!"

Jiro chuckled. "Well, I'm here because I have the key to this place. Apparently it was left in our family's care when the last Himura left this place. Our ancestors must have known each other, and now here you two are, married!"

"That just shows that we really are meant to be, doesn't it Catherine," Michio said, looking at his wife lovingly.

"Yes, anata, it does."

During their little moment, Jiro had unlocked the gates. Shinta and Aoshi rushed in. Michio and Catherine chuckled, following after them.

"Wow, it's so big!" said Shinta.

"Which building is the training hall?" asked Aoshi.

"It's over here," said Jiro, leading the way.

Aoshi and Shinta went into the training hall and began to chase each other around, their laughter echoing throughout the room.

"Wow. This is amazing! This is where my great-great-great grandmother trained!" Catherine breathed. The training hall was huge. Along the wall, there were some old plaques.

"What do they say, anata?" Catherine asked her husband.

Michio walked up to them and started to read, "Himura Kaoru: Acting Master, Assistant Master: Yahiko Myojin, Students:....hmmm....the names are too faded read..."

"Well, I've got to head back to Kyoto, I've still got a business to run! It was a pleasure meeting all of you. You should all come to Kyoto while you're in Japan. Then you can see my place of business, the Aoiya!" Jiro said, breaking Michio's thoughts on trying to decipher the faded kanji.

"Ja ne! We'll try and stop by!" Michiro said.

"Bye, Jiro, and take care," Catherine said giving him a hug.

"Bye!" Shinta and Aoshi said together, both trying to catch their breath from their game.

Jiro turned to walk out, but then suddenly stopped. He turned back around. "I almost forgot!"

"Oi, Michiro, here's the key, I think this dojo belongs to your family now." Jiro said, tossing Michio the key.

"Thanks, Jiro, for everything."

"No problem. What are cousins for!" Then Jiro walked out.

"He seemed like a very nice man," Catherine said, standing next to her husband.

"He really is a good guy," Michio said.

"Okaa-san! Otou-san! Look what we found!" Aoshi shouted while running up to them.

"What is it?" Catherine asked.

Aoshi stretched out his arms toward his father and handed him a bokken. It was white with pink cherry blossoms painted on one side. On the hilt was carved some kanji, very poorly.

"What does it say?" Catherine asked her husband.

"It says, 'To my beloved Kaoru, Happy anniversary, love, Kenshin.'" Michio read.

"It's beautiful," Catherine said.

"Look at this one, okaa-san!" Shinta said, handing her and smaller bokken. This one was black with a silver dragon painted on one side. On the hilt was carved some more kanji.

"This one says, "To our beloved son, Kenji, love okaa-san and otou-san," Michio read.

"This must've been my great-great-grandfather's," Catherine said.

"It would seen so," Micio replied.

Aoshi and Shinta wanted to explore the rest of the property. Catherine and Michio agreed, and they left the training hall to check out the living quarters. There were four bedrooms, one kitchen,a sitting area, and an outdoor bathroom. It seemed as if no one had been here since the late 1800's.

"Anata, do you think it would be possible for us to fix this place up a bit? I mean, it belongs to us now, and I was kind of hoping to stay here a while and," Catherine stopped abruptly when her husband had put his finger to her lips.

"Am I to understand, that you want to have this place as a vacation home?" Michio said, grinning.

"Maybe..." Catherine replied.

"Well then, I'll just have to fix this place up, won't I?" Michio said.

"Really? You would do that?!" Catherine said excitedly.

"Anythng for you, koishii. My boss did say I had the whole summer off, maybe we could stay her until the girls are born..." he was abruptly cut off when Catherine had flung herself at him, hugging him tightly.


	5. The Sakabatou

Chapter Five- The Sakabatou

For two months the dojo was worked on so that it had modern conviences, but still had the feel and look that it originally carried. Catherine was now eight months along in her pregnancy, and was now moving around too slowly to actually get anything done. Michio had been repairing the old dojo. Shinta and Aoshi had been very helpful with the chores around the house because their mother couldn't do much. They adjusted well to life in Tokyo. The first month, the family didn't have any t.v., heating system, or electric stove, so they either ate out, or tried doing things the old fashioned way. Of course, they were thrilled once the modern things were installed.

It was a Saturday afternoon and Michio had been cleaning the sitting room when Catherine had seen a young woman, standing in her room. She knew right away that the young woman was a spirit, and as she stepped closer to her, she stubbed her toe on a floor board that was sticking up. "Ouch!" she cried. Thinking it might be the baby, Michio rushed into the room, followed by Shinta, and Aoshi. By the time they arrived, the girl had vanished.

"What is it? Is it time? I'll pack the kids in the car and get you to the hospital. Maybe we should let our neighbors watch the kids and..."

Catherine cut him off "ANATA! I'm fine. it's not time yet, I just stubbed my toe, that's all. I still have a month left."

Michio gave a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness!"

"There's something else, anata. I saw another spirit." she whispered to him, not wanting the boys to hear.

"Here? What did it look like?" he whispered back.

"It was a young woman, in a white kimono. She had a purple and red obi, and a light purple shawl, or something."

While Catherine recounted to her husband what she saw, the two boys had knelt on the floor and pried the piece of wood up. "Okaa-san! Look!" Aoshi cried.

Inside the floor, there was a piece of white clothed wrapped around something long. Michio knelt down and pulled it out. He unwound the cloth, and it fell away to reveal a sword in it's sheath. Michio then slid the blade from the sheath,revealing a reversed-blade sword.

"A sakabatou," he breathed out. "Koneko, I believe this belonged to Kenshin."

"Oh my," she said, captivated by the sword.

Suddenly, a white light erupted from the sword and a great wind started to blow about the room. Unsure what was happening, Michio held Aoshi to him and Catherine held Shinta. "What's going on?!" She cried, grasping her husband's hand.

"I don't know," he shouted back over the wind."

"Okaa-san! Make it stop!" Shinta cried."

"Otou-san! Okaa-san!" Aoshi was a panicking. The wind seem to be gaining speed, making it harder and harder to breathe.

Try as she might, Catherine could not hold onto her husband's hand and Shinta's small frame at the same time. "Koishii, let my hand go, protect Shinta as best as you can. I'll hold onto Aoshi. Don't worry, I'm sure things will be fine," Michio shouted, giving her a small smile. Catherine nodded. She could tell he was thinking the same thing as she, not wanting to let each other go, but also wanting to protect their children. Their hands separated and they each clutched the child in their arms tightly. By this time, the children had passed out in their arms. The light had gotten so bright, they had to shut their eyes. _'Please, please let us all be okay,please let my unborn children be okay,' _Catherine thought as she too succumbed to darkness.

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a/n I'm sure you can all guess who it was she saw!


	6. In the Past w Kenshingumi

Chapter Six- In the Past with the Kenshin-gumi

Catherine awoke with her arms empty on the side of a road by a river. '_What happened? Where am I?' _she thought. Suddenly, memories of what happened came flooding back to her. "Shinta!" She yelled, looking around wildly. She got up slowly, and once she regained her balance, started walking. She started yelling "Shinta! Michio! Aoshi!" over and over again.

"They're not here, but I assure you, they are all safe," a soft voice spoke.

Catherine turned around and saw the same spirit from the dojo. Her black eyes staring at Catherine, and her mouth in a grim line. "You!" she cried. "You sent me here? But....why? Where's Michio?! Where are my sons?!"

"Aoshi and Michio are in a forest near Kyoto. Shinta, because you lost your grip on him, is near here, in Tokyo."

Catherine had calmed a bit after hearing Michio and Aoshi were together, but her worry increased after hearing Shinta was alone in the city. "Who are you?! Why have you brought us here?"

The spirit gave the tiniest of smiles. "My name is Tomoe. I have brought you here, with a little help, because of your gift..."

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Meanwhile, Shinta had awoken in front of a busy restaurant. _'Okaa-san? Otou-san? Aoshi?'_ Shinta thought. _'Why did they all leave me? Where are they?' _He began to feel scared. His blue eyes where starting to tear up. _'Okaa-san...' _he thought sadly. He then began to wail loudly. "Okaa-san!! Where are you?!! Okaa-san!" He ran down the road wailing, "Okaa-san!" the whole time. Suddenly, he crashed into someone.

"Oro?"

Shinta knew that sound. That was the same sound his mother would make when she was confused or nervous. He looked up, and saw a man with red hair like his, staring down at him. He wore a pink gi,white hakama, and a sword strapped to his side.

"Are you lost, little one?" the man asked in Japanese. "Where are your parents?"

Shinta looked up at him and began to cry. "I don't know! We were at our summer home and okaa-san was holding me and there was lots of wind and a bright light and then everything went dark and then I woke up here!" Shinta wailed in Japanese.

"Oro?" Kenshin sputtered, eyes wide. _'It sounds like a bad bedtime story. This boy looks an awful lot like I did as a child.'_

Kenshin squatted down to Shinta's level, "Well, maybe sessha can help you find your okaa-san, okay? Sessha's name is Kenshin, what is yours?"

While Kenshin was talking, Shinta's crying was reduced to sniffles. "My...hic...name's...hic...Shinta," he said.

_'That's even stranger...he has the same name I did as a child...'_ "Well, Shinta, can you tell me what your okaa-san looks like?"

"She's short, has light brown hair, blue eyes, a scar by her left eye,and a big belly," Shinta responded.

"A big belly? I don't think your okaa-san would appreciate you telling a stranger that, that I don't," Kenshin said smiling.

"It won't stay big for long! Just until my sisters come! Okaa-san said they'll probably come in a month" Shinta said haughtily.

"Maa, maa! I din't mean to be rude." Kenshin said, holding up his hands in defense. _'She must be pregnant,'_ Kenshin thought to himself._ 'She shouldn't be too hard to find then.'_

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from the boys stomach. Shinta blushed, while Kenshin just smiled at him. "I was on my way to meet some friends to eat lunch, would you like to come with me?" he asked. Shinta just looked away shyly and nodded. Kenshin offered the small boy his hand, which Shinta grasped immediately and held on tight, afraid he would get separated.

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A few minutes later, Shinta found himself standing in front of the same place he woke up. "This is where I woke up!" Shinta told Kenshin. "Sou ka?" he replied. "Well, this is the Akebeko, a very famous restaurant here in Tokyo."

"But, our summer house is in Tokyo and it doesn't look like this! There's a lot of tall buildings and lights! And the Akebeko looks different too!" Shinta said.

"Oro?" Kenshin uttered, shocked. _'Tall buildings and lights? Is he from a different time?'_ he wondered. "Well, this is Tokyo and this is the Akebeko. But we're here to eat right? So this little mix up shouldn't matter as long as you get food, ne?" Kenshin said to the boy.

"I guess you're right," Shinta replied, just wanting to fill his tummy.

The two walked into the restaurant and were greeted by Tae. "Welcome Kenshin-san! Who's your little friend? A relative perhaps? With that red hair and face, he sure looks like you!"

Kenshin didn't even think about what he was going to tell people about Shinta. He was just concerned about helping the boy. Of course they would think they were related! Just look at him! Shinta looked like he could be his son!

"Aah, he's my nephew..." Kenshin lied, not wanting anymore questions asked. "He just arrived today."

Shinta wasn't paying attention to the conversation, he was too busy staring at all the people in the restaurant.

"Well, everyone else is here! I'll show you to them!" said Tae, leading the way.

"Come on, Shinta," Kenshin said, tugging on the boy's hand.

"Hai!" he replied happily, knowing that he was going to be fed.

Once at the booth, Kenshin introduced Shinta to everyone. Shinta tried to memorize their names, but he could only remember Kaoru and Yahiko. The third person there had a hard name to pronounce, so he called him 'Tori-atama' because he looked like a rooster. Everyone laughed at that, making Sanosuke (Tori-atama) wonder if he really should find a way to tame his hair. No one asked any questions as to why Shinta resembled Kenshin so much, thinking it best to let the rurouni tell them later.

Tae came back and gave Shinta a pair of chopsticks since she had not been expecting another guest at the table. Everyone ate happily, with the usual entertainment of Sano and Yahiko fighting over the food. Having enough of their arguing, Kaoru rolled up her sleeve and hit them both on the head.

"Bakas! You're going to teach Shinta bad manners!" she scolded.

"Itai, Jou-chan! You're going to teach the kid voilence!"

"Yeah, busu!"

That earned them each another bop on the head.

At first Shinta laughed, but then he remebered his mother doing the same thing to his father.

_They were all sitting at the table, eating dinner. They were having chicken and mashed potatoes._

_Otou-san was making a giant volcano out of his potatoes._

_'Anata! Stop playing with your food! You'll teach the kids bad habits!'_

_'Koishii, I'm just making space for my gravy...'_

_'Baka! You don't need to make it that big!' Okaa-san replied, hitting otou-san on the back of the head._

_'Itai!'_

Shinta's eyes began to water and tears streamed down his cheeks. Everyone at the table stared at him silently.

"Shinta-chan...daijoubu?" Kaoru asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Hai...you just remind me a lot of my okaa-san...I really miss her..." he replied quietly, rubbing his eyeswith his sleeve. Not knowing what to say, Kaoru just embraced the young boy. Feeling himself being wrapped in her arms, Shinta began to weep silently. Everyone else remained quiet, wondering what they could do. Kaoru had been rocking him, and he fell asleep in her arms.

"That was weird...a kid actually let busu hold him!" Yahiko said, trying to break the somber mood.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru growled.

"Maa, maa! I think we should all start heading back to the dojo. We all should try to find Shinta's okaa-san as well," Kenshin said. _'If she even came with him' _he thought to himself.

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While Shinta had been at the Akebeko, Catherine had been wandering the road, stopping every once in a while to catch her breath. '_It's all my fault! How could I let Shinta out of my grasp?' _she wondered. _'I must find him!'_ Catherine kept walking. There was no one on the road. She came upon a bridge, and decided to rest there. She had been walking for hours, searching for her son and pondering over what the spirit,Tomoe had asked of her. She was so exhausted and wanted to rest. _'I can't stop! I need to know that he's safe!' _she thought. She was frustrated and scared. "Shinta! Where are you!" She screamed before collapsing from exhaustion.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

The Kenshin-gumi were walking back to the dojo with little Shinta being carried by Kenshin. Kenshin had told them how he came upon the boy and what he said about Tokyo.

"I don't think he's from this time, that I don't. His clothes are strange too. Perhaps his mother didn't make it here with him." Kenshin stated.

"It all does sound strange, but we can't just leave him! We have to try and find his mother, just in case she did end up here," Kaoru replied.

"Aa...and by the way he described her, I think she might be eight months pregnant," Kenshin said.

"Then we better start searching as soon as possible, she may need help!" replied Kaoru.

As the group continued their walk home, Sanosuke noticed something on the bridge. It looked like a person, just laying in the middle of the bridge.

"Hey guys, I think there's someone hurt on the bridge. I'll run ahead and check." Sanosuke ran off, followed by Yahiko who also wanted to help. When they reached the person, they both gasped. It was a young woman, who looked like she was pregnant. She seemed exhausted, and was crumpled on the ground in an uncomfortable position,as if she just blacked out suddenly. Sanosuke noticed that she wore strange looking clothes, just like the boy. Her dress looked western made, but not like anything he'd seen in Yokahoma. It went to the middle of her calves, had a bunch of buttons on the back,and tied back with two thin strings. He gently picked her up, and waited for the others to catch up. Shinta had woken up, and was rubbing his eyes. As they got nearer to Sanosuke and Yahiko, Shinta's eyes widen, and he cried out, "Okaa-san!" He started wriggling, trying to get free to see his mother. Kenshin set him down, and Shinta took off towards Sanosuke.

"Hey squirt, it looks like your okaa-san is sleeping, I don't think we should wake her, 'kay?" Sanosuke said, looking at the boy. Shinta just nodded and kept his eyes on his mother. _'At least she's here,' _he thought. _'Now I'm not alone anymore.'_

"Shinta, we're going to have you and your okaa-san stay at our dojo, okay? Just so you two can get some rest," Kaoru said, bending to Shinta's level.

"Hai," he replied quietly. He held his arms open,wanting Kaoru to pick him up. She smiled and did as he wished. They group started walking, and soon Shinta had fallen asleep once more.

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................


	7. In the Past w Oniwabanshu

Chapter Seven- In the Past with the Oniwabanshu

Michio had awoken to the feel of something struggling in his arms. He open his eyes looking down, thinking it was his wife. Instead, in his arms lay his son, Aoshi, trying to free himself. "Otou-san! You're crushing me!" he cried.

"Oh! Sorry, Aoshi-chan! Otou-san was just worried he would lose you," Michio replied, remembering what had happened._ 'Where are we?' _he thought. '_This looks like a picture of the forest near Kyoto from my history book. Can it be that we travelled through time somehow?'_

Michio stood up, and took Aoshi's hand in his. "Stay close, Aoshi-chan, I don't want to get separated, okay?" Michio said, looking down at his son. "Hai, otou-san," he replied. The pair began walking, hoping to meet someone who could give them directions to a nearby town. They had awoken in a forested area, but there was a road nearby, so Michio assumed that it led to a town. The two had walked for about two hours when Aoshi was starting to complain about being hungry and his feet hurting. Michio squatted down and had Aoshi hop on his back. Aoshi wrapped his arms around his father's neck, and soon fell asleep. Michio was getting tired and hungry as well. _'There's not much I can do but hope that we find a town soon.'_

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Two and a half hours later, Michio had arrived in a thriving city._ 'We must be in the past. I've never seen a town so old-fashioned before.' _he thought. _'I've got to find a place to eat and then maybe a place to stay...'_ As Michio looked around, he noticed something familiar. '_That building...It's the Aoiya! Now I know that we're defnitely in Kyoto.' _He immediately headed in the direction of the Aoiya. As he entered the building, a young woman full of energy bounced towards him.

"Hello! Welcome to the Aoiya restaurant and inn! My name is Makimachi Misao! What can I do for you?" said the young girl, waking Aoshi from his nap. Michio bent down and Aoshi climbed off him.

_'It can't be...this is my great-great-great-grandmother?!'_ Michio thought. "Ummm...I'll be needing a room for my son and I...but we should probably eat first," Michio said.

"Alright! Right this way! I'll send Aoshi-sama to your table so he can set you up with a room!" Misao said as she led him to a table.

"Arigatou, Makimachi-san," Michio replied.

"No Makimachi-san! Just call me Misao! What's your name?" she said.

_'I can't tell her my family name is Shinomori...'_ "Michio."

"No family name, Michio-san?"

"I just prefer people to call me by my first name, so I didn't think it was necessary to give my last name..."

"Oh, that's fine with me. but Aoshi will need to know it for the books!"

_'Oh crap...I forgot about that...'_ "Alright..."

"What's your name, little one?" Misao asked Aoshi, who was peeking at her from behind Michio. "Aoshi..." he replied shyly. "Wow! Just like my Aoshi-sama! You look like a little chibi version of him! So kawaii!" she squealed. Aoshi just stared at her, thinking she was a little odd, but liked her any way. After taking their order, Misao skipped away towards her Aoshi-sama, pointed Michio out to him, and told him he needed to set up a room. Then she headed for the kitchen where Okon was cooking.

_'I guess I'll have to give my name away, I mean Shinomori is common right? It wouldn't be weird that my son's name is Aoshi too, right?_ _Misao brushed it off, hopefully he will too,_' Michio contemplated in his mind as Aoshi walked towards them.

"Konnichiwa! You must be Aoshi-san!" Michio greeted, trying to hide is anxiety. _'With his eyes like that, I don't think I'd last long if he interrogated me...maybe he can actually help us...I'll tell him everything.'_

"Aa. I understand you and your son need a room?" Aoshi replied. _'Why does this man seem nervous. He and his son are both wearing some strange clothes. I haven't seen anything like them, not even on foreigners.' _"I need both your names, and some form of identification from you," Aoshi said.

_'Alright, this is it, he's going to think I'm crazy.'_ "My name is Shinomori Michio, and my son's name is....Aoshi."

_'You've got to be kidding me.'_ "Aa. Can I see your identification?" Aoshi asked,keeping a straight face. Michio reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and took out his I.D. card. _'What is with this stuff this guy has. Wait...why is he handing me some plastic square?'_ Aoshi pondered. Aoshi took the small piece of plastic. If he wasn't so good had hiding his emotions, his eyes would be bulging out. On the card was a clear, colored, photograph of Michio. It also gave is date of birth, eye color, hair color, and nationality. The strangest thing was that his birth year was 1979.

"Shinomori-san, do you think I could speak with you, privately, later?" Aoshi asked.

"Yes, I think that would be best," Michio agreed. "And please, could you just call me Michio? I don't want to cause a ruckus."

"With that attire, I'm surprised you haven't already," Aoshi commented.

Michio laughed. "I suppose you're right,"

"Aa. Later then. Meet me in the garden in the back after your meal." With that, Aoshi left.

"Otou-san... why does he have the same name as me? And why does he want to talk to you?" his son asked.

"Don't worry about it, Aoshi-chan. Otou-san will take care of it."

"Here's your food! Sorry if Aoshi-sama seemed a bit cold, it's just his nature!" said Misao, setting down their food.

"Not at all! He was very...understanding," Michio replied with a smile.

"if there's anything else you need, just call my name!" Misao said winking, then hopped away to help more customers.

"She's very bouncy, isn't she otou-san?" said Aoshi.

"Indeed she is, just like someone else I know..." replied Michio glancing at his son.

Aoshi giggled." Not just me! Shinta and okaa-san are like that too sometimes!"

Michio chuckled. "Yes, they certainly are."

"Otou-san," Aoshi asked seriously, (Well...as serious as a five year old). "Where do you think Shinta and okaa-san are? Will we get to see them again?" His eyes started to well up with tears. Michio wrapped his left arm around his son.

"Of course we'll see them again! They're probably waiting for us to find them, or they're trying to find us too! We'll probably see them real soon," Michio replied, trying to sound enthusiastic so his son wouldn't worry too much.

"Hai! We'll do our best to look! It's like hide and seek!" said Aoshi. Michio gave him a half smile.

_'Aa...like a big game of hide and seek...... across Japan.'_

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

After the two of them finished eating, Michio picked up Aoshi and headed toward the garden. His great-great-great-grandfather was sitting on the ground near the koi pond. Hesitantly, Michio walked towards him. Aoshi's voice broke the silence. "I've asked Misao to come here in a bit to pick up your son. She'll play and take care of him while we talk."

"H-hai. Arigatou for thinking of him." Aoshi just nodded in reply. A few seconds later, a pounding of feet was heard as Misao made her way out. "Konnichiwa! I'm here to play with chibi Aoshi-chan!" she said excitedly. Young Aoshi smiled and ran towards her at full speed. "oof!" Misao grunted as Aoshi jumped on her, causing them to fall to the ground. "I got you!" he cried. "I don't think so, chibi-chan!" Misao retaliated and lifted herself up off the ground. "You better run!" Little Aoshi's eyes went wide and he turned and ran, Misao right on his heels.

As their laughter died away, Aoshi, who had watched the interaction with much amusement, turned towards Michio. "He's a bit of a handful, huh," Aoshi inquired. Michio smiled. "Sometimes, mostly when he's with his brother. Other than that, he's actually pretty quiet. Even if he was a handful, he's still my son, and I wouldn't have him any other way." Aoshi nodded his head.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning, ne?" Michio said.

"Aa."

Michio told him the whole story. He told him of the dojo, the sakabatou, the bright light,and the wind. He told him how he got separated from his pregnant wife and son, Shinta. All the while trying to keep his emotions in check. He even told him about his connection to Aoshi and how his cousin runs the Aoiya from his time. He told Aoshi everything that he could possibly think of that would get him to help. He didn't, however, tell him of his wife's connection to the Himuras, not knowing if Aoshi was at the point in his life where he felt that his sole purpose was to defeat the Battousai. After talking for about an hour, Michio's throat was a bit raw. Aoshi just sat there silently. He then spoke, "Well, I think the first thing we need to do, is get you and your son some clothes so that you blend in better. I could lend you some money for that. As for finding your wife and son, we should try looking in Tokyo, since that's the last city you were in. The only problem is she doesn't speak Japanese. It could make it more difficult to get her to understand that we mean to help her when we find her."

"But, if Shinta's with her, she should be fine with communicating. My mother has been speaking only Japanese to our children since they were born, and I speak to them in both English and Japanese. They 've actually learned both quickly and fluently."

"Aa. That is a big help. I'll send a letter to a contact of mine and see if he has any news."

Michio nodded at that. _'I just hope they are both okay...and that she hasn't given birth yet...'_

_....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................._


	8. The Letter

Chapter Eight- The Letter

Catherine had been sleeping for two days now. Shinta was a little worried for his mother, but since the lady doctor and the elderly doctor had come by and everyone seemed to be taking care of her, he was certain she would be okay. He was playing with the old doctor's grandchildren, Ayame and Suzume.

They had a paper ball and were trying to keep it in the air, not wanting it to touch the ground. Suddenly, there was a loud shriek of "Shinta!" Shinta's eyes widened, and he ran towards his mother's room.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Catherine awoke in a strange, yet familiar room. _'It looks like our dojo, but old...and new at the same time.'_ She suddenly shot up and remembered what had happened. She still hadn't found Shinta. She screamed, "Shinta!" Immediately, the sound of pounding feet started towards her room. A young woman, about ten years younger than herself, entered, followed by a short man with red hair like her son's. She gazed up at them, a little afraid, but at the same time felt safe.

The young woman looked at her and asked, "Daijoubu?"

Catherine just stared at her and muttered, "Oro?" The young woman glanced at the red head, seemingly amused at something she said. _'Well of course she's amused! Who says a nonesense word like 'oro'' _Catherine thought to herself.

Suddenly, the shoji that led to outside was opened, and there stood Shinta, panting as if he had been running. "Shinta!" Catherine cried, opening her arms. Shinta immediately went into the embrace his mother offered and hung on tight. "Are you alright? How long have we been here? Who are these people?" Catherine knew that she was babbling, and didn't expect her six-year-old son to answer, but he did.

"We've been here for about two days okaa-san. We found you sleeping on a bridge and you didn't wake up until today. I'm so happy you're awake!" Shinta wept and clung to his mother. Catherine wept as well, happy that she had found her eldest son. Kenshin and Kaoru just stood there, watching the reunion. After Shinta had calmed down, he lifted his head from his mother's chest, and looked at her face. Then, remembering who else was there, he introduced them.

"Okaa-san, this Kenshin and that is Kaoru," he said, pointing to each of them.

Then he looked at Kenshin and Kaoru and said, "Kenshin, Kaoru, this is okaa-san." He was so serious the way he said it, everyone couldn't help but smile.

"Shinta, only you and your brother call me okaa-san. Other people call me by my name," Catherine told him.

"But, when my new sisters come, will they call you okaa-san too?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Oh...I get it!"

Catherine just laughed. Kenshin and Kaoru both knelt down by the futon.

"What's your name? How are you feeling?" Kaoru asked Catherine in Japanese.

"Oro? I don't understand. Gomen." Catherine replied. _'All she probably understood was sorry...' _

"Okaa-san doesn't know Japanese...Otou-san and obaa-san didn't teach her yet," Shinta told Kaoru.

"Oh...gomen," Kaoru said, looking at Catherine, knowing she knew what it meant. Catherine just smiled at her, and Kaoru returned it.

Shinta looked at his mother and said, "They want to know your name and how you're feeling."

"Oh..tell them my name is Catherine, and that I feel fine." Shinta then translated it to Kenshin and Kaoru. Both were amazed that this six-year-old was speaking so fluently two languages. _'He must've been raised this way,' _Kenshin mused.

Kenshin and Kaoru continued to talk to Catherine through Shinta. They soon learned that she could mimick the language, but only knew what a few words and phrases meant. The found it amusing that the first phrase she learned was 'gomen nesai.'

"I learned that one quickly because I kept apologizing to my husband and his family for every little thing I did wrong, then they would tease me by saying sorry in Japanese over and over again!" she explained, and they all laughed.

An hour later, the was a knock at the dojo gate. "I'll get, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, rising. At the entrance, there was a messenger. He handed Kenshin two letters, one in Japanese and the other in English. He immediately knew who the English letter was for. He thanked the messenger and walked back to the room where Catherine was staying.

"We've received a letter from Aoshi," Kenshin told Kaoru. At the name 'Aoshi' Catherine's eyes lit up a bit, thinking of her son. "I believe this one is for you," Kenshin stated, handing Catherine the letter. "Arigatou," she replied. Catherine looked down at the sheet of paper and immediately recognized her husband's writing.

The letter stated that he was in Kyoto with Aoshi. He had the help of the oniwabanshu in finding her, and if she had received this letter, she was to write him back. Then he and Aoshi would come for them. Her eyes teared up at his last few lines. _'I love you and Shinta so much and can't wait to have you both my arms again. Give Shinta a big hug and kiss from me. I hope you are feeling well (and that the twins aren't ready until I get there!). Love forever, Michio._

"Okaa-san, why are you crying," Shinta asked, wiping the tears from his mother's cheeks.

"I'm so happy! Your otou-san is waiting for us to write him back so he can meet us. He sends his love to you too, and says to do this..." She then reached across and grabbed Shinta, holding him tightly and gave him a kiss, making a smacking sound.

"Aahh! Okaa-san! Not a big hug and kiss!"

"Yes a big hug and kiss!" she said while both laughed.

Kenshin's letter had the same information from Aoshi, but it also told him about the connection between Michio and Aoshi. '_Ahhh...so my hunch was correct, they are from the future. But, why did these two end up here?'_

"Well, I think we should write a reply, that I do," said Kenshin, folding his letter. "I'll go get some paper and ink." As he left, Shinta translated for his mother. A moment later, Kenshin returned and handed Catherine a piece of paper, a brush, and a bottle of ink. "Arigatou," she said. Kenshin smiled in return.

Never using something like this before, Catherine's writing was very sloppy, but at least it was legible. Shinta looked at his mother's writing and laughed.

"You write better at home, okaa-san!"

"Pens are a lot easier to use, Shinta,"she responded, glaring playfully at her son.

Shinta just smiled, knowing she wasn't really upset. After both Catherine and Kenshin finished their replies, Kenshin headed to town to give it to a messenger. Twenty minutes later he returned. "I guess I'll start making dinner now. Is there anything in particular your mother likes?" Kenshin asked Shinta. Shinta wasn't sure, so he asked his mother. Catherine didn't feel she could eat very much, so she requested some miso soup. Shinta told Kenshin, and he smiled at Catherine. She smiled in return and said, "Arigatou." Kenshin replied, "Doiitashimashite." Shinta told her it meant 'you're welcome', and she wanted to try to memorize it, so she could use it some other time. She tested it on her tongue, "Doiitashimashite." Kaoru and Kenshin both smiled. _'She learns fast,'_ they both thought. Kenshin then left to cook. Kaoru soon followed to help. Catherine looked at her and said, "Arigatou, for everything." Shinta translated the second half of what his mother said, Kaoru bowed to her and said, "Doiitashimashite." She then exited, leaving mother with son.


	9. Reunion

Chater Nine - Reunion

A few days after Catherine had awoken, Michio and Aoshi had received their replies. Michio was relieved to know that his wife and son were safe. Aoshi had made travel arrangements for them to go to Tokyo the following morning. Kenshin had invited him and Misao to join as well, and Misao jumped at the oppertunity to visit Kaoru.

The four of them would take a train the next morning from Kyoto to Yokahama, and from there, take a ship to Tokyo. Little Aoshi was happy to be going to see his mother and brother again. He missed them a lot. He was even more pleased when he learned that Shinomori-san and Misao were joining them. Even though Shinomori-san was silent and some-what intimidating, there was something about the man that drew young Aoshi to him. The whole time they were at the Aoiya, Aoshi would follow Misao or, if she was busy, he would hang around Shinomori-san. Shinomori-san didn't seem to mind, he actually seemed to like having him around.

Michio would help out in the restaurant, sometimes serving, sometimes cooking. He didn't mind giving the oniwabanshu members a break from their work. Hr knew they did more than just run an inn and restaurant,and that they could use all the rest they could get. Plus, they were letting him and his son stay for free. He never felt right not paying for something, so he decided to work it off. Plus the work kept his mind from worrying about his wife. Now that he knows where she is and that she and Shinta are doing fine, he relaxed a bit, but still nervous that she'd have the twins before he could reach her. Both their sons were born a month early, so he assumed the twins would be as well. _'I don't know...I hope they don't come too soon.'_

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

After four days of travelling, Michio, young Aoshi, Misao, and older Aoshi finally made it to Tokyo. They were all tired from their journey, but Michio and Aoshi couldn't wait to be reunited with their family. Misao and Aoshi agreed, and after they docked, they immediately headed for the dojo. It didn't take long to get there, and Michio had to hold back from ripping open the door to reach his wife and son on the other side. Aoshi (The older one...) raised his hand and rapped on the gate. A few seconds later, Kenshin opened the door and ushered them in. Michio introduced himself and little Aoshi to Kenshin, who was happy that they spoke Japanese. Kenshin didn't waste any time in leading them to Catherine and Shinta.

At the sight of his wife sitting up on a futon and his son next to her, his emotions ran wild. "Hey you," Catherine said, smiling at him. "Hey you, back," he choked out and immediately sank to the floor and embraced her. She laughed aloud. During their reunion. there was a yell of "Aoshi!" "Shinta!" as the two brothers ran towards each other and hugged. Everyone present laughed at the two brothers, who seemed so happy to be with each other again. "Aoshi-chan! Come and give your okaa-san a hug!" Catherine called to her son opening her arms. Aoshi immediately leapt into them and hugged her with all his might. He missed her so much. Her telling them stories before bed, singing to calm them down when they where upset, playing the guitar or piano, and everything else about her. Aoshi began to cry. He'd never been away from his mother for this long. Catherine hushed him and began to sing softly. Michio and Shinta, who was now in his father's arms, listened attentively to her soothing voice. Everyone present was captivated by her song. Catherine didn't even notice that all the attention was on her. All she wanted was to calm her son. It seemed to work because he had fallen asleep in her arms. Catherine finished her song and smiled down are her now sleeping son. She looked over to Michio who held a now sleeping Shinta.

"Well, I'm going to escort Aoshi-san to his room," Kenshin said, wanting to give the couple time to themselves.

"I'll show Misao to hers," Kaoru said, understanding his intentions.

"Arigatou, for taking care of them...I don't what I would do without them...or what I can do to repay you all for your kindness..." Michio said.

"Just take care of your family, that's enough for us," Aoshi replied. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Then they turned and left the closed the shoji behind her.

Michio looked at his wife and couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Oh how he missed her! Catherine looked at him with tears of her own. They gazed into each other's eyes and then shared a short, sweet kiss. Michio put Shinta down on a spare futon that was next to Catherine's, then took Aoshi from her arms and laid him next to Shinta. After covering them up and giving each a kiss on the forehead, Michio returned to his wife and held her.

"I missed you so much. I was so worried that you would be all alone...that the babies would come too soon... that you wouldn't make it to a doctor in time...every worse case scenario played through my head until I got your letter. I'm just, so...relieved," he said, holding her tightly. Catherine just held him tighter.

"I was worried about the two of you as well. At least you can speak the laguage. Shinta's been translating for me!" Catherine told him. This made him laugh.

"I knew letting them spend a lot of time with my mother would help."

Catherine laughed. "Yes, in-laws do have their good qualities I suppose."

Michio laid them both down, still holding his wife close. After a few moments of laying in each other's arms, Catherine spoke.

"Anata,"

"Hmmm....." Michio replied sleepily, his eyes closed.

"Remember the spirit I told you about, back at our dojo?"

Michio's eyes opened and he propped himself up on his right elbow. "Yes........"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"So...she sent us here....so that she and someone else can talk to our ancestors, through you?" Michio summed up.

"Ummm...basically, yes."

"Hmmm..."

"And for some reason, she doesn't want me to tell Kenshin and Kaoru that we're related. She wants to be the one to tell them. I told her it was fine with me, I can't hold a conversation with them anyway...but you can't tell them either..got that?!"

"Hai, koneko."

"But, what are we going to do? I feel terrible for invading their home like this. We should try to earn our keep, or find another place to stay."

Michio nodded. *Yawn* "I'm tired. That trip took a lot out of me"

"I'm tired too....let's get some sleep. I guess we can figure things out in the morning."

"Mmmmm...."


	10. Catherine's Story

Chapter Ten - Catherine's Story

Michio, Catherine, and their children had been staying at the dojo for a week now. Michio had been helping out around the dojo. No matter how welcome they were, they were all a bit homesick. Michio was especially worried since Catherine started having some pre-labor contractions. He wanted to get back to their time, with modern medicine. One day, he told her of his worries.

"Anata," she replied, "The twins will come whenever they're good and ready. Even if we were back home, there's no guarentee that they would be born at the hospital. We could get stuck in traffic or something!"

Michio just smiled. He loved how his wife can always make him smile whenever he needed it most.

Kaoru had wanted so badly to speak to Catherine about motherhood. She especially wondered about her name. What did it mean? Why did she marry a foreigner? Why did she give both her sons Japanese names? Didn't she want to have them carry on her heritage too? Kaoru wanted so badly to talk to her. Kenshin saw her training, and noticed her frustrated ki. He smiled. He had a feeling he knew why she was feeling that seemed to want to communicate with the other woman staying at the dojo, but not knowing how. Obviously, she thought Shinta would get bored translating for the hours of conversation she seemed to want. Kaoru had given a rather loud yell while bringing her bokken down in an invisible opponent. Kenshin decided that it was time for him to talk with her. He entered the training hall, and began to walk towards Kaoru.

"Kaoru-dono," he called, startling her.

"Oh! Kenshin! Don't scare me like that!" she replied, covering her fast-beating heart with her hand.

"Gomen, it's just that you seem a little frustrated and this one wanted to know what was bothering you."

"Oh Kenshin. I really want to talk to Catherine about so many things! I have a lot of questions, but I don't know how to communicate with her! It's so frustrating!"

"It seems to me, that you need a translator."

"Hai, but Shinta's too young. He'd probably get bored."

"Have you asked Michio?"

"No....I guess I could...do you think he'd mind?"

"I don't know...but Catherine seems like she wants to talk to us too...it's worth a shot."

"Arigatou, Kenshin. You always make me feel better!" Kaoru said, embracing the rurouni. "Ororororo!"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

After dinner that night, Kaoru asked Michio if he would mind being a translator for her. "Not at all! Catherine's been wanting to speak to both you and Kenshin since she got here. She wants to learn as much as she can about you!"

"Demo....why?" Koaru asked, confused.

"Ummm....she's never met a woman who fights as well as you, or a red-haired Japanese man," Michio replied, trying not to reveal anything.

A few minutes later, Shinta and Aoshi were sleeping in their room and the adults were all sitting on the porch. After everyone had settled, Kaoru started asking her questions.

"I've been dying to know! Why is your name foreign and what does it mean? How did you meet your husband? Why did you end up here?" She asked, eager to know the answers to all her questions.

Catherine laughed and began her story, "Firstly, Catherine means 'pure and innocent'." _'Somehow it suits her,'_ Kenshin mused to himself.

Catherine continued, " I'm American. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the state of Washington to be exact. My mother is French and German. My father is German, Irish, and basically every European nation you could think of, on his mother's side that is. My great-grandfather had changed his last name.

His real father died when he was two, and his mother remarried. He changed his last name to that of his step-father, Bennet. My grandfather had forgotten what his real last name was, and so his children never learned, therefore, his grandchildren never learned it either.

When I met him, I was os curious about my family history, I was upset that I couldn't trace anything back. I became engrossed in researching my family history. My grandfather saw how adament I was about it, that he referred me to a genetics lab. They were doing tests on genes to see what the genes for different nationalities were like. I offered to be a test subject. That's where I learned I had some Japanese heritage in my blood. You can't tell by looking at me, but it's there. It was at this lab that I met my husband. He literally bumped into while walking down the hall.

He was so engrossed in his chart that he wasn't watching where he was going. I was a bit upset, so I smacked him on the head. He said he'd make it up to me by buying me dinner. I agreed, and we've been together since." She paused and gazed lovingly at her husband while he translated. After he finished, Catherine began to speak again.

"You already know that we're from the future, and as to why we ended up here, I can't really say. I just know that we were at this very dojo, but in our time, when we came to this time," Catherine said, trying not to lie, but keeping information to herself, like Tomoe had asked of her.

"Are there any more questions?" Catherine asked.

"How old are you?" Misao inquired.

Catherine giggled at Misao's question. "I'm 28."

"What?!" Kaoru and Misao gasped.

"No way! You look like you're fifteen or something! I thought you were 23 because of your kids, but still! You definately are related to Himura!" Misao exclaimed.

"Do you have any siblings?" Kaoru asked,

"Hai. I have three brothers, and six sisters," Catherine said, knowing what they're reaction would be. Everyone had their mouths hanging open, except Aoshi. His eyes went wide instead.

"Your mother gave birth ten times?!! How did she and you father handle all of you??!!" Misao exclaimed.

Catherine giggled. "Well, she is the second oldest of twelve kids, so she handled all of us very well. My father was in the navy and was gone a lot, but my older siblings would help my mother when she needed it, and my father always wrote when he was away. When he was home, he was a wonderful father. My father is the second oldest of sixteen children, so he was used to a big family as well."

"I could never imagine having that many children!" Kaoru stated.

"Neither did they. They just went with it I guess. My family has always been against abortion, so they just made do with what they had, making more room when a new child came into their lives." Catherine said.

"What's abortion?" Misao questioned.

"Umm...it's when a woman goes to a doctor, and has the baby in her womb killed. They just call it a fetus to make them feel better about it, but to me, it's still a life, not some disease that needs to be destroyed." Catherine replied softly.

"Oh..." Everyone was silent. Wondering how anyone can go through with something like that, or how a doctor, someone who was meant to save lives, could destroy one so easily.

Kenshin asked a question, both out of curiosity and trying to ease the tension. "Why did you name your eldest son, Shinta? I understand Aoshi was name after him,"pointing at Aoshi, "but ... why Shinta?"

Happy to change the mood, Catherine answered, "Well, I knew that Michio wanted our children to have Japanese names and I didn't mind. I was looking at baby names in Japanese,and Shinta just struck a chord in me. It was as if I had to give him that name. It's hard to explain. At first, we were going to name him Kenji, but for some reason, when I saw that name, I had to use it. We then decided that his first name would be Shinta, but his middle name Kenji."

"What's a middle name?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh! I forget you guys only have your first name and family name. Well, traditionally, in Europe and America we give our children two names. I'm not sure why, but it's just the way it is. I met a girl named Yumi, but she went by the name Christine. Christine was her middle name, but that's what she wanted to be called. She was Japanese-American. I met her in a choir class in college. She was a lot of fun."

"What's your middle name?" Kaoru asked, curious.

"It's Elizabeth."

"What does it mean?"

"It has two meanings, 'bearer of sorrows' and 'servant of God.'"

"Do you have names picked out for your twins yet?" Misao asked.

Catherine and Michio both smiled. "Yes..." Catherine said.

"So what are they?!" Misao asked impatiently.

"Kaoru and Misao."

"What?!! AFTER US?!!" Misao and Kaoru yelled at the same time.

"Hai!" Catherine responded.

Misao looked at Aoshi and blushed, Aoshi remained his stoic self. _If they're naming one after me, maybe I really am going to marry Aoshi-sama!_ Misao thought.

"Well, I think that's enough questions for one night...my wife needs her rest, so if you'll excuse us," Michio said. He rose and offered his hands to his wife and helped her up. "I guess I can ask you my questions tomorrow night," Catherine then retreated to their bedroom for some much needed rest.

"I think we should also go to bed, don't you, Misao?" Aoshi asked, gazing at the girl. "H-hai Aoshi-sama" she replied. They both got up and retreated to their rooms.

"Are you ready to turn in, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked.

"Ano...not quite...I wanted to watch the stars for a little bit..." Kaoru said, wanting to think over the news she heard not to long ago. _'I can't believe they want to name their child after me!'_

"Would you mind if this one joined you?" Kenshin whispered nearing her a bit.

"N-no...I would like that very much," she said blushing. Kenshin then sat down with his back against one of the support beams and beckoned Kaoru over. She shyly went to him and was surprised when Kenshin grabbed her wrist and pulled her down into his lap. After making herself comfortable, Kaoru finally relaxed against Kenshin, wrapped her arms around his waist, and both gazed into the heavens.

Breaking the silence Kaoru asked, "Kenshin, why did you ask about Shinta's name?"

_'Should this one tell her? If I do, she might want to know more...am I willing to open up everything to her?'_ Kenshin asked himself. Looking down into her beautiful blue eyes he found his answer. _'Yes'._

"Kaoru-dono, 'Shinta'...was the name given to this one by his parents. Hiko was the one who gave this one the name 'Kenshin'."

"Oh...will you tell me about them? I don't mean right now...but someday..."

"Hai, Kaoru, someday....."

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

a/n Catherine's family is based off of mine...in case you're wondering....


	11. Meet The Twins

Chapter Eleven - Meet the Twins

Everyone at the dojo seem to be going back to their old routines,along with the addition of evening talks. Kaoru and Yahiko trained every morning, Sanosuke would drop by for a free meal, and Kenshin would take care of the house cleaning. Michio would help out any way he could, cooking or cleaning. Catherine would spend her days sitting on the engawa watching her children play, or waddling from one place to another. She was frustrated that her husband wouldn't allow her to help in any way.

"I don't want you to strain yourself, koneko," he said.

"But I feel so useless! I'm not contributing at all! I want to do something! Anything!" She shouted.

"Koishii, you are! You are taking wonderful care of our children, and you're growing two more! That's a lot of work!" Michio said.

" _Growing two more_? What? are they plants instead of children now?" Catherine stated, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean, koishii," Michio sighed.

"You need to work on your communication skills," she responded, smiling at him. Michio smiled back, knowing that she had calmed down and that she wasn't mad at him.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

A week later, Catherine was sitting on the engawa after lunch, watching Shinta and Aoshi play with a paper ball. Michio came and sat beside his wife, putting his left arm across her shoulders. Catherine rested her head against him, saying, " I've been thinking. Why hasn't Tomoe showed up again?"

"I don't know koishii, maybe it has to do with the others she mention." Michio replied.

"Perhaps, but I didn't think it would take this long for her to......."

Suddenly, Catherine felt a very sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Feeling his wife suddenly tense and fall forward, Michio began to worry. Water suddenly appeared below her, and it was then he knew what was happening. "Anata.....I....think....it's time," Catherine gasped out. Michio's eyes widened."I'll find out where the clinic is!" Michio stated, getting up and running towards the side of the house.

Just as he suspected, Kenshin was doing laundry. "Himura!" he cried out. Kenshin looked up, and upon sensing Michio's frazzled ki, knew something big was going on. "Where's the nearest clinic? Catherine's gone into labor! I need to get her to a doctor!" Michio said. Kenshin's eyes widen. He stood up and said, "Michio-san, return to Catherine-dono and bring her to your room, I'll go fetch Megumi-dono." Michio nodded and took off back to his wife while Kenshin ran to the clinic.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Kenshin returned with Megumi ten minutes later. Right away she began giving people orders. "Kaoru, find some fresh, clean towels, Ken-san, go boil some water and put it in a wide bucket, Michio, I need you to stay outside her room, got it?"

"No! I was by her side when our sons were born, and I'm going to be here when our daughters come too!" He stated, leaving no room for argument. Megumi nodded and let him do as he wished. Minutes later, Kaoru returned with the towels and Kenshin with the water. "Aoshi and Misao have taken Shinta and Aoshi to Genzai-sensei's to play with Ayame and Suzume. They thought it best they be distracted," Kenshin informed Michio. "Aa. Arigatou," he replied. Kenshin and Kaoru both left the room.

Michio knelt next to his wife, who was propped up by pillows. He took her small hand in his. "Alright....when I tell you to push, push as hard as you can, Catherine," Megumi ordered. Michio translated, Catherine now understanding, nodded at Megumi. "Okay....push!" Catherine began to push, just like Megumi told her. She screamed in pain, and gripped her husband's hand tightly. "Itai! Koishii! You're breaking my hand!" He cried. "That's not all I'm gonna break!" she screamed back at him. Michio decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. After twenty minutes of Megumi coaching her to push and relax, the first baby's cry was heard. Catherine gave on last push, and Megumi was now holding their first daughter. Megumi allowed Michio to cut the umbilical cord, and then wrapped the infant in a towel. She then laid her on the spare futon, and went back to Catherine who was ready to deliver again. Two minutes later, their second daughter was born. Megumi cleaned Catherine up, and then went over to the now luke-warm bucket of water to bathe the newborns.

"You did a wonderful job, koishii," Michio said, giving his wife a kiss on top of her head.

"Thanks for putting up with me, anata. I didn't mean anything I said," she replied.

Michio chuckled, "I know,but I think Megumi-san should check out my hand....itai!" (Catherine had smacked his shoulder.)

After the infants were clean, Megumi gave one to Michio, and the other to Catherine. "You probably already know, but it's best to feed them as soon as possible," Megumi said. Michio responded for Catherine, "Aa, arigatou." Catherine then proceeded to feed the infant in her arms. Megumi nodded and left the room.

Michio looked at his wife and said, "So, which is which?"

"Well, I guess, I'm feeding Kaoru, and your holding Misao," she responded sleepily.

"You should rest, koishii."

"Not until they are fed, anata," she responded yawning.

After Kaoru was fed, Misao had her turn. Once she was sated, Michio placed her next to Kaoru on the spare futon. "Now, koishii, rest. I'll take care of these two," Michio said sternly. Catherine gave him a sleepy smile, "Hai," and soon drifted off to sleep.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Three hours later, Catherine woke up to someone cooing. She rose up and looked to her left. There was her husband, holding the twins in both his arms, gazing at them lovingly. "Now, we can't be too loud, your okaa-san still needs rest," Michio said in Japanese, then again in English. "Teaching them a bit early, aren't we anata?" Catherine teased.

"Hey! It's what we did with the boys!" he replied.

"If I remember correctly, your mother was the one speaking Japanese to them and you spoke English."

"Well, yes....but it was the same fashion! She would say something, and I would translate it!"

Catherine just giggled at his frustrated face. He really was too defensive sometimes. Michio smiled at his wife's laughter. He loved their play-fights. They were a lot better than being like those couples who constantly yelled at each other. At least he knew that she meant no harm, and she knew the same about him.

"Misao and Aoshi returned about an hour ago with the boys,"Michio informed.

"Well then, I think it's time to introduce the twins to everyone, don't you?" Catherine said.

"Are you sure you're ready? I don't think they would mind waiting if you aren't recovered enough...."

"I'm fine, anata. I'm sure Shinta and Aoshi are dying to meet their sisters."

Knowing his wife was right, Michio handed the twins to Catherine and left to bring in the others. A few minutes later, Shinta and Aoshi had ran into the room, excited about meeting the new members of their family. After they had rushed in, the Kenshin-gumi entered as well. "They're so small, okaa-san," Aoshi stated with awe. He wanted to hold one, but wasn't sure if he could handle it. "Aoshi, why don't you sit with otou-san, and then he can help you hold Misao," Catherine suggested. Michio sat next to his wife and Aoshi sat in his lap. Michio then reached over and took Misao from Catherine. "Can I hold Kaoru?" Shinta asked hopefully. "Hai, of course. Come sit with okaa-san," Catherine said smiling. "Now, Aoshi, Shinta, you have to be very gentle, okay? And you need to support their necks because they can't quite hold their heads up by themselves yet," Catherine instructed her sons. The boys were amazed at how small and vulnerable their new baby sisters were. The Kenshin-gumi gazed at the small family, whose faces were lit up with smiles, and couldn't help but smile too.

After about fifteen minutes, Shinta looked up at Kenshin and asked, "Would you like to hold my baby sister, Kaoru?"

_How can I say 'no' to those big blue eyes?_ Kenshin thought. "Hai, I would be honored." Then he reached down and took Kaoru from Shinta and Catherine's hands. _She's so small. I wonder if Kaoru's and my children will look like this, _Kenshin mused. '_Wait, Kaoru and my children?! Where did that come from?!'_

Aoshi had looked at older Aoshi. "Would you like to hold Misao?"

Aoshi was startled that this child was addressing him. He looked so hopeful that Aoshi couldn't say no. He just nodded and took Misao. _It's a bit awkward holding one of my decendants, but it also makes me want one of my own..._

"Yahiko, Sano? would you like to hold Kaoru?" Kenshin inquired.

"No!" they shouted simultaniously.

"I might accidently crush her!" Sano said.

"Yeah! And I might drop her!" Yahiko said.

"That's why you have to be gentle! You probably just don't like her and are using a lousy excuse!" Shinta yelled at them.

Everyone else just laughed. Kenshin then turned toward Kaoru. "Kaoru? How about you?" he asked smiling.

_No -dono!_ she thought. "Hai..." she said softly. Kenshin then gently laid the infant in her arms. Kaoru was blushing wildly. _Will it be like this when we have children?_ she wondered._ 'Wait a second...we're not even a couple! How can I think like that?!'_

Aoshi had placed the newborn he was holding in Misao's arms. _This is amazing. I wonder what Aoshi-sama's and my children will look like..._

Both Aoshi and Kenshin gazed at their significant others and thought, _This looks so right._

After everyone had a turn holding the newborns, they were returned to their parents. Kaoru began to wail. "I guess it's time to feed you again, ne little one?" Catherine cooed. The Kenshin-gumi left the room to allow Catherine some privacy to feed the infants. Aoshi and Shinta went out with the rest of them to eat dinner.

"Did you see the expressions on Kenshin's and Aoshi's faces while they were holding them? They looked like they wanted to be father's too!" Catherine told her husband.

Michio chuckled. "Aa... Misao and Kaoru looked like they wanted to be mother's as well. Maybe we just gave them a little boost...."

"Anata! They should get married first!"

Michio laughed. "Of course, koishii! They are honorable men. I'm sure they'll do the right thing."

Catherine smiled. "Now that I think about it, if they weren't, our families would be a bit screwy."

"You mean they aren' t already? I mean, look at us!"

Catherine grabbed a pillow and smacked her husband with it, making sure not to disturb Misao in his arms. Michio chuckled at his wife's antics and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. "You know I love you anyway," he said.

"Yeah, and you're lucky you found me, the only person who can put up with you!" Catherine exclaimed.

"That's very true, koishii. I am _very_ lucky to have you."

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................


	12. The Akebeko in Trouble?

Chapter Twelve - The Akebeko in Trouble?

A few days after the twins were born, Kaoru decided to treat everyone to lunch at the Akebeko. Tae had greeted them warmly, but she seemed a little upset with something. She led them to a table and took their order to the cook. When she returned with the food, Kaoru asked her to join them, since the restaurant didn't seem busy at all. _That's odd, normally this place is bustling with people at this time..._Kaoru thought. Tae agreed, and sat next to Sanosuke.

"Tae, is something wrong?" Kaoru asked, concerned for her friend.

"It's just a small problem...I'm sure I'll find a way to solve it," she responded.

"Is there anything we can do? Maybe if you tell us what's going on we can help," Kenshin said.

"Well, the thing is, the Akebeko isn't doing so great right now. We've been losing business to a new restaurant down the road. It serves all kinds of foreign food. A lot of people have been interested in trying it. I just don't know how to compete! We don't want to change our menu, because we don't have a lot of time to learn new recipes...I just don't know what to do!"

After being filled in by her husband, Catherine looked around, trying to get a feel for the set up of the restaurant. The walls were easy to take down if needed, and near the back the floor was elevated a little bit. _That could work..._she thought.

"Anata, what if she provided some entertainment? She could take down some of the walls, and use the elevated floor in the back as a stage of some sort. If she did this on week-ends or something and had someone perform something, like singing or a short play, maybe business will boom again," Catherine told her husband.

Michio told Tae his wife's idea, and she said she was willing to give it a shot.

"The only thing is, where am I going to find someone to entertain the patrons? I could probably have someone in a month, but I would like to try sooner..."

Michio told Catherine Tae's troubles and Catherine offered to be the entertainer for as long as she and her family were here. Tae was excited.

"What do you do?"

"She sings," Michio informed her.

"Will she be singing in English?" Tae asked

"She can, but she knows a few songs in Japanese, French, German, Italian, and Gaelic," he responded proudly.

"Really? That's a lot of languages! This could work!"

Tae was so happy to have something to fight her competition with. Catherine suggested that they try it this coming weekend, starting on Friday night. Michio, Kenshin, and Aoshi would arrange the restaurant, and Misao and Kaoru would help take care of the children. The Akebeko would be closed during the day Friday to give them time to set up, and then re-open in the evening for the dinner show. After planning it all out, Tae went back to work while everyone headed back to the dojo. _I have to figure out what to sing!_ Catherine thought.


	13. Opening Night

Chapter Thirteen - Opening Night

Friday had come rather quickly. Luckily for everyone at the dojo, the twins slept all through the night. With the help of her husband and children, Catherine had come up with a very good song set. Michio had gone shopping with Kenshin in the market when he found a shop that sold foreign music instruments. Michio had purchased two guitars, one for himself and one for his wife. He also had a piano sent to the Akebeko, telling the movers to give Tae his name.

When Michio returned to the dojo with Kenshin, he brought the guitars to his wife.

"Arigatou, anata! This will make it even better! But, why did you buy two?" Catherine said.

"Well, I figured I could help you up there. After all, one of the songs our sons want to hear is a duet. You need a partner for that one, ne?" he teased.

"Haha! Of course! I love you!" she said while giving him a tight hug.

Michio chuckled, " I love you too."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ....

Catherine spent the day tuning the guitars, practicing, and taking care of the infants. It was much easier with Misao and Kaoru's help. Misao could speak English as well, and so the three of them could communicate rather easily. At about four-thirty, Kaoru, Misao, Catherine,and the children headed to the Akebeko. Catherine had fed the twins, and Aoshi and Shinta would eat at the restaurant.

_This is it. I hope it helps..._ she thought.

When the reached the Akebeko, they were surprised at how many people came to see the entertainment. Catherine had chosen four songs, two in Japanese, one in French, and one in English. She was a little nervous, she hadn't performed on a stage since she was a teenager, but she told herself that it's for a good cause and nothing can stop her. It was now five o' clock, meaning it was time for the show to begin. Determined to give a good show to get people to come back, Catherine headed to the stage. Michio was there, he would be introducing her and each song. He was also going to play guitar with her and sing the last two songs with her.

... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"Good evening, minna-san! My name is Shinomori Michio, and this is my wife, Catherine. We will be providing the entertainment for you tonight, so please, enjoy the music!" Michio announced. "Our First song is a French piece called, _Tout Doucement."_

Catherine sang this song while playing the piano. Her voice carried over the crowd, and everyone was amazed at the strong, yet tender sound, coming from such a small woman. After she finished, the crowd applauded, and Michio announced the next song, _I'll Stand By You. _This song was a little slower, but with Michio playing guitar and Catherine playing the piano, it was very sweet. Even though most people in the crowd couldn't understand the words, the meaning seemed clear. It was a song of love and devotion. Misao and Aoshi understood every word of it, and both seemed to be penetrated by the lyrics. _I feel as if it describes Aoshi-sama and I somehow..._Misao thought.

_You're standing at the crossroads,_

_don't know which path to choose._

_Let me come along_

_'cause even if you're wrong,_

_I'll stand by you_

Those lyrics will forever be engraved in Misao's heart.

When that song finished, Michio announced the next two. Saying that they were going to play one after the other. The last two were in Japanese and up-tempo. Everyone seem to enjoy this new style of music. The first was meant as a duet, and the second they had turned into one.

_Ah...shizuka na gogo no umibe no_

_watagumo chirashite natsu ga nagareru_

_yureru kage sanbashi de_

_sotto yorisotte iru no ni_

_futari mada se wo mukete_

_jareru you ni kenka tsuzukete 'ru ne_

_moshimo kiseki wo hitotsu okoseru to iu nara_

_kono isshun wo e no naka ni tojikome_

_kawaru jidai no sawagashisa nanta shirazu ni_

_tada anata dake mitsumetai_

_ah...mure kara hagureta tori ga_

_ashita wo sagashite mani ni kiete 'ku_

_hito wa naze wake mo naku_

_naki ja kutte umareru n' darou_

_itsu ka kuru tabidachi ni_

_ochiru namida yolkoku shite you sa_

_moshimo kono yo ni kanashimi kienai mama nara_

_tenshi ga egaku e no naka ni nigekomi_

_itsumo tagai no mune ni rakuen wo kanjite_

_tada hohoende itai no ni_

Catherine then began to play a guitar solo and gazed at her husband. He smiled back at her. '_Just like the last lyric says, I just want to keep on smiling,' _he thought. Then they sang the first chorus again.

_moshimo kiseki wo hitotsu okoseru to iu nara_

_kono isshun wo e no naka ni tojikome_

_kawaru jidai no sawagashisa nanta shirazu ni_

_tada anata dake mitsumetai_

_Wow...that song was amazing! I can't believe she doesn't even speak Japanese! She sounds fluent when she sings,_ Kaoru thought. Everyone in the Kenshin-gumi was stunned by her accent. You couldn't even tell that she didn't know the language. It sounded so natural. Catherine began to play the next song on her guitar, and Michio's soon joined hers. Then she began to sing the final song.

_itsudatte kimi no koto wo bokura wa koko de matteru kara  
ya na koto ga atta no nara bokura ni hanashi wo kikasete yo_

_sakki made naite ita (nakanai de) kimi no kanashii kao mo (sugu ni)  
hora bokura nara itsu no mani egao ni kaeru  
(Egao ni kaeru!)_

_mata ashita! hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
sumi kitta aozora ukabu kumo no you ni  
mune ippai hi no hikari abite aruki dasou  
boku to  
_

_kudaranai joudan datte kimi wa warau kamo shirenai keredo  
tada kimi no yorokobu kao ga bokura wa itsumo mitai dake nanda_

_sakki made futte ita (daijoubu) doshaburi amagumo mo (sugu ni)  
hora bokura nara warai tobashite aruite ikeru  
_

_mata ashita! hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
wa ni natte tsunaida te to te no nukumori wo  
itsumademo wasurenai you ni aruki dasou boku to_

_kenka shite surechigau toki datte (donna toki datte)  
kimi ni aeta koto ni koukai wa nai kara  
(Yukou!)_

_mata ashita! hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
sumi kitta aozora ukabu kumo no you ni  
mune ippai hi no hikari abite aruki dasou_

_mata ashita! hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
wa ni natte tsunaida te to te no nukumori wo  
itsumademo wasurenai you ni aruki dasou  
mata ashita! hohoenda kimi ni aeru you ni  
sumi kitta aozora ukabu kumo no you ni  
mune ippai hi no hikari abite aruki dasou  
boku to_

When the song ended, everyone at the restaurant stood up and cheered. Catherine and Michio bowed, and went off stage. Tae ran to them and gave them both a big hug.

"That was wonderful! I didn't think things would turn out like this! I'm so glad you came up with this concept! I'm sure business will be booming again soon! Domo arigatou!" she said.

Catherine and Michio both laughed. "It's no problem we're happy to help!" Michio responded for the both of them. At that time, the rest of their group joined them. Everyone praised Catherine and Michio for their wonderful vocal and guitar skills. The infants had fallen asleep, and still slept through all the noise. Aoshi was sleeping in big Aoshi's arms and Shinta was sleeping in Kenshin's.

"I think it's time we all headed home. The little one's need their rest, that they do," Kenshin stated. Everyone agreed and made their way back to the dojo.

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"You were wonderful, koishii. I could listen to you sing all day," Michio said, kissing his wife on the forehead.

"You weren't so bad yourself. I'm glad you were up there with me. I was so nervous!" she replied.

They had put their children to bed, and were lying in each others arms in their futon.** "**Well, at least we know that they enjoyed the foreign music. That should help Tae figure out what to do on other week-ends." Michio said. "Hai, she should be able to find new entertainers in no time," Catherine yawned. Michio kissed her and said, "Sleep now, koishii. We've got another long day ahead." "Mmmm...." she replied falling into a deep slumber.

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a/n In case you all were wondering,,,,,I don't own the songs mentioned. _Tout Doucement _is by Feist, _I'll Stand by You_ is by the Proclaimers (go 90's!), _Natsu No E_ is from the Rurouni Kenshin _C_haracter Collection, and finally _Mata Ashita_ is from Ouran High School Host Club...


	14. Visitors in the Night

Chapter Fourteen - Night Visitor

The weekend had gone by quickly. The crowd had doubled in size on Saturday, and tripled on Sunday. After the show was done Sunday, everyone stayed to help Tae return the restaurant to normal. Tae had decided to hire Kenshin to her staff. His job was to change the setting of the restaurant every week-end for the shows. He agreed, glad that he now could earn some money of his own instead relying on Kaoru all the time. '_It's not fit if a man doesn't take care of his family, right?'_ he thought.

On Monday morning, after everyone had eaten, Catherine had volunteered to help Kaoru do the dishes. Misao wanted to help as well, so all three were in the kitchen. Yahiko had run off to help at the Akebeko, Sano was out gambling, Michio was taking care of the twins, Aoshi was watching little Aoshi and Shinta, and Kenshin was doing laundry (as usual).

As Catherine hummed to herself, Kaoru had asked Misao to ask her a question. Misao tapped Catherine on the shoulder, and when she turned around said, "Catherine, Kaoru wants to know how you learned those songs that you performed over the weekend. Obviously she knows you know English, but she wants to know about the French and Japanese ones."

"Oh, well...when I was in school, all students were required to take a foreign language course. i had heard that French and German were difficult to speak, but I wanted to try them any way. The German class was full, so I studied French instead. I fell in love with it, and took the advance courses afterward. I learned really quick, and even the professor was astounded by my accent and my passion for the language. Since I love music so much, I looked into all kinds of French songs. In our time there are many genres of music, and while listening to some pop, I came across that song and fell in love with it and the original artist."

After Misao translated for Kaoru she asked, "What about the Japanese songs?"

Catherine looked at Kaoru and said, "Okaa-san." Kaoru understood. It meant that Catherine's mother had introduced her, but how? She had said that her mother wasn't Japanese, didn't she? After Misao voiced this for Kaoru, Catherine giggled and said, "You're right, she's not. But, there was a song that was quite popular worldwide when she was growing up. In Japan, it was called, _Ue O Muite, _but everywhere else it was known as _Sukiyaki._ I had been listening to some Italian music oneday, and was singing along to it. My mother had heard me and asked me when I had learned to speak Italian. I told her I didn't really know how to speak Italian, I just mimicked the sounds that the singer made. My mother didn't believe me, she didn't think it was possible for someone just to hear a foreign song a few times and repeat back with an almost perfect accent. So, she tested me. She found the song _Sukiyaki_ and played it for me. I listened to it twice, then began to sing along with it. By my third time listening, I had memorized the song and was singing it perfectly. My mother was amazed. That song stirred something in me, and I became obsessed with the culture and music of Japan. Everyone in my family thought I was nuts! I was thrilled to find out that I had Japanese in my blood. My little sister, Christine joked, 'Well, that explains a lot!' and everyone laughed," Catherine said the last sentence giggling. Kaoru smiled, happy to know that this strange foreigner loved Japan as much as she did.

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The day went on as usual. Everyone doing their part to help around the dojo, the kids laughing and playing, and the twins screaming and crying whenever they needed to be fed or changed. After dinner, Shinta and Aoshi were tired and wanted to go straight to bed. Michio and Catherine got up and took them to their room to be tucked in. Michio told them a bedtime story, while Catherine fed the twins. An hour later, all their children had fallen asleep, and the parents crept out of the room to join the Kenshin, Kaoru, Misao, and Aoshi for their nightly talks.

The group had been talking about their day, and sharing their fondest memories. After Kaoru had told them about the time she thought Kenshin had preposed, everyone was laughing hysterically when Catherine stopped suddenly. Michio noticed his wife was looking a little ways behind Kenshin. Her eyes were so focused on one spot, yet were not glazed over. '_She must be seeing a spirit,'_ he thought. By this time, everyone was looking at her.

"Michio-san, is Catherine-dono alright?" Kenshin asked.

Michio didn't know how to explain, "Hai, she's fine. She's just..." he was cut off when Catherine started to speak to him.

"Anata, she's here again...the woman from the lab. And, she's with four others...."

Aoshi and Misao had understood what she said, but were confused by what they meant. _'There's no one standing where she is looking, and if there were, Himura and I would've sensed their ki...'_ Aoshi thought.

Michio understood right away. '_That spirit has returned. I knew she was the one who sent us here!'_

Kenshin and Kaoru were in the dark. They had no idea what she said or what the others were thinking. They just sat there, waiting until someone broke the silence, and let them know what was going on.

Misao couldn't stand it any more. "Catherine, what's going on?"

She responded, " I know that this is going to sound really....and I mean really...weird, but I can see spirits. There are five of them standing by the gate. Four men and one woman. I think that they want to talk to you. They know I can see them, and they are probably the reason why we are here..."

Aoshi showed no emotion as he translated what she had said to Kenshin and Kaoru. Everyone seemed to suddenly become wary of her, as if they didn't trust her any more. _'Demo...why would she tell someone something like this, unless it's true? Wouldn't you keep it to yourself? I don't think she means to hurt us by playing with our emotions. She doesn't seem like the type of person to do that...and if she can trust us with a secret like this, then I can trust her too!_ Misao thought. "Okay! So what do they want?" Misao said.

Happy that someone was at least willing to give her a shot, Catherine smiled."I'm not sure yet...they haven't spoken. I think I need to speak with them first, so that they know you're okay with it..." Then she rose, and headed toward the gate. Everyone watched her as she seemed to be having a conversation with herself. After fifteen minutes, she returned, and sat down so that everyone had to face her direction. "I'm going to allow two of them to possess me. First one will enter and speak to you, then the second will come after I have rested a bit," she explained. Everyone nodded, a little nervous that she would allow herself be at the mercy of a strange spirit.

Catherine closed her eyes, then inhaled and exhaled slowly. After she had inhaled for the third time, it seemed as if she was holding her breath and she was as still as a statue. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, but they weren't their normal blue, they were brown instead. Then her mouth opened to speak, but it was definitely not her voice. This voice was male, and had a Kyotan accent. "Hello, Okashira, Misao-chan. It's been a while," it said.

Misao gasped, and Aoshi's eyes were wide. Kenshin even recognized that voice. It was a voice Misao and Aoshi knew well, it was Hannya. Misao had tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't cry, hime-chan," Hannya said. "I never did like it when you cried."

Misao smiled, and dried her eyes. "It's just...you're gone. I never thought I'd see or hear your voice again. I miss you guys so much!"

"We miss you too. We've been with you the whole time, even though you can't see us. There is no sense of time in the afterlife, so we can travel through time. We've kept an eye on all of your decendants, and were lucky that one of them had found this wonderful young lady with this remarkable gift. We never thought it existed, until we met her and the spirits following her. It was then that we knew what we had to do. We had to make sure that we could talk to the two of you here, and now, so that you would be able to live your lives in peace. Okashira, I know that your thoughts still dwell upon our deaths. We follow you to the temple everyday, hoping that it will be the day that you finally realize that the way died was the way we wanted it to be. We were happy to die for our devoted leader, so that he could go back to our little hime-chan and take care of her. We never wanted you to blame the Battousai for our deaths or seek revenge. It was all Kanryuu's doing, not his. In the future, your families are joined, and everyone is at peace. We all want peace for you, leader, and happiness for both you and Misao-chan. It's time for me to go now. Take care, and remember, we are always by your side." With that, Catherine's eyes closed and she was still as a statue again.

Her eyes re-opened as she coughed and gasped for air. Michio went and put his hands on her shoulders, supporting her. "Are you all right?" he asked with a concerned look. "I'm fine. I just need to catch my breath. You'll have to tell me what he said, you know," she said. While she gained her breath back, Michio filled her in. By the time he was done, her breathing was regular. "Okay. I think I'm ready for you," Catherine said to the next spirit. Catherine closed her eyes and started to breath deep, like she did before. This time, when her eyes opened, they were deep pools of onyx, and the voice was definitely female.

"Kenshin-anata," she said.

Kenshin couldn't believe it. It was the voice of his beloved Tomoe. He couldn't help the tears that began to fall. Kaoru saw this and immediately knew who it was. She grasped Kenshin's hand for support and gave it a gentle squeeze. Kenshin looked at her with a small smile, and squeezed back. When he was ready, he turned back towards Catherine, who was now possessed by Tomoe.

"Kenshin-anata, I have come to tell you, that you have been forgiven by everyone from the revolution. You just need to forgive yourself. Akira has been with me this whole time, and we have both watched over you and Enishi. There is something else you should know...but you have to learn more about the woman I am currently possessing. Kami-sama wanted me to show you her life, so that you can see what would become of your decendants. " Kenshin's eyes widened. "Yes, anata, Catherine is your great-great-great-granddaughter. She is a very happy woman now, throughout what you will see, you must remember that, and do not let it discourage you from giving into your desire for happiness."

Kenshin didn't quite understand what Tomoe meant, but he didn't have long to ponder over her words. Using Catherine's right arm, Tomoe swept it into a large circular motion, which created a glowing, white sphere. Inside the sphere images began to appear. The pictures seemed to be moving, like a recording of some sort.

The first was of a woman, in her late thirties. She was surrounded by children, and there was cake in front of her. She was pregnant, and looked like she was ready to go any day now. The children were singing a song to her, "Happy Birthday". They were singing in English, but for some reason, Kenshin and the others were able to understand. Once the song ended, the woman doubled over. She had gone into labor. A man rushed to her side, and started to give the children orders.

The scene changed to a hospital. It looked like it was late at night. The woman now held a baby in her arms. _"What should we call her?" _asked the man. _"Well, Ben suggested Catherine Elizabeth. I like it,"_ the woman replied_. "Alright," _said the man.

This image faded, and a new one appeared. This one had a young girl, Catherine, in a bathtub while two older girls were outside of the tub. _"Time to come out, Catherine,"_

the older of the two girls said. "_Okay!"_ The little girl climbed out of the tub, but slipped on some water and hit her head on the sink in front of her. She didn't cry, but her eyes were teary. Her sisters were laughing, and didn't seemed concerned at all. She put her clothes on, and then went out in the hallway. She saw her reflection in a mirror. Blood was coming from the corner of her eye. Her mother came in the hall, and after seeing the Catherine began to cry out, "_Catherine's crying blood!"_ Then her father rushed in, grabbed the little girl and started to walk out the door.

The image faded, and now they were back at the hospital. Catherine was on a bed and a doctor was next to her. "_Now, I need you to stay very still and to keep your eye open, otherwise, I might accidently sew your eye shut."_ he said. The girl was fine until the he said, "sew your eye shut." When the doctor neared her with a needle, she panicked and kicked him in the family jewels. The doctor doubled over, and called for back up. Four people with white coats on appeared and held the Catherine's arms down while the doctor, who had recovered, strapped her down. He then tried to sew her up again, but she started to toss her head from side to side. The doctor then went out, and came back with her father from earlier. He went to his little girl and held her head. She stared into his ey_es _and he began to sing to her. While she was focused on her father's voice, the doctor stiched her up.

This image faded, and now it showed Catherine about two years later. She was laying in a hospital bed with tubes in her arm. _"I'm surprised she's lasted this long. She has an extreme case of Cholera. I don't think she's going to make it another year. I'm sorry."_ Her parents began to weep at what they had been told by a lady doctor, who resemble Megumi. She looked very distraught.

The next image showed the Catherine, a few years later. She was in a waiting room, reading a book that looked too thick for her. A man who resembled Sanosuke sat next to her. "_Whatcha readin'?" "'The Count of Monte Cristo'" "Isn't that a bit heavy for a five yearr old?" _

_"I'm ten! And if you must know, I've been reading since I was two!"_

_ "Whoa! Didn't mean to offend you little missy! What are you here for?" _

_"My two-week check up. Dr. Sagara says that if this test is positive, I won't have to come for a whole year!" _

This time, the image was not at the hospital, it was at a house. Catherine was laying down on a couch. She seemed to be ill again, but this time, it looked like just a fever. A teenage girl entered the room, picked up a pillow, and began to smother the ten-year-old. She was screaming, "_Why couldn't you have died instead of her?! Why?!" _The little girl struggled, but gave up because she was too weak. Once she stopped moving, the other girl left, looking a little upset at what she had done.

The next image was of Catherine at school. A boy about her age was being bullied by five other boys. She immediately dropped the bag on her back to the ground and ran in front of the boy, with her arms stretched out protectively. _"Why do you care what happens to him, miss smarty-pants? Just because you're a girl doesn't mean we won't beat you up too!" _They then proceeded to punch and kick her. She seemed like she wanted to fight back, but decided not to. The bullies then left, leaving her and the other boy alone. "_Why did you do that?" "Because...I can't stand seeing others in pain..."_

The next image, Catherine was now a teenager, she was arguing with the girl who had tried to smother her before. _"If you would just be there for him, he wouldn't call me that! He doesn't need toys, he just needs you!"_ The woman gave no reply, and the teenager stormed off into a bedroom. She looked at her face in the mirror, and saw that her eyes were amber, due to her rage. She began to throw things, and then began to roughly clean up. A young man entered the room, and went over to her._"Are you okay?" "No! I need to get out of here! Out of this house!....but....I feel aweful about what I said to her. I need to apologize." _As she moved towards the door, the man stopped her. _"No! She deserved what you said! We have all been wanting to tell her the same thing, but you were the only one with courage enough to do so. She needed to hear it."_

This time, Catherine was at school again. She was walking down the hall when she over heard girls talking badly about her sister. _"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't talk about my sister so badly, especially where all these people can hear you,"_ she said.

"_What do you care? It's not like she or any one of your other sisters like you. I''m surprised that you're even talking to us. You never talk to anyone. We heard what one of them did. She tried kill you when you were little. You're other sister is a whore. All she does is hang out with guys all day. We know what she's doing."_

Catherine was really angry now, her eyes were a burning amber. She pulled back her fist, and punched the girl hard. The girl fell to the ground, wailing loudly. Her friends were stunned.

_" First of all, my sister is not a whore. You're just jealous that they guys like to talk to someone with a brain. Secondly,you don't know the reason behind that incident in the past, and you shouldn't even know about it in the first place! I don't care what they have or haven't done to me. They are my family and I will defend them, no matter what."_

Catherine was now in a French class, speaking really well. They were playing a game, and she was racking up points for her team. The professor then had her switch teams, but the team she was on before was way ahead, and her new team couldn't catch up by the time the game was over. After class, many people asked for her help studying. She smiled and agreed.

The new image was Catherine playing some kind of sport. She was wearing a blue and gold jersey that matched four other people, and was bouncing a ball up and down. She would pass the ball to people wearing the same colors, and then one person passed it back. She then threw the ball into a net, and everyone cheered.

The next scene showed Catherine on a stage seemingly nervous. There were two adults toward the center of the room, and two other teenagers sitting near the front. She began to sing, and when she finshed, the people there had their mouths gaping over. The man in the center shouted, "_Where have you been when I needed soloists in choir????!!! You're in! And now that I know you can sing like that, I expect you to audition for solos from now on." _The woman next to him smiled and added, "_Would you take any role given to you?"_ Catherine said that she would, and proceeded to walk off stage.

The next image showed Catherine marching in a parade with two boys and seven girls. They each had a flag that they were spinning and tossing in sync with one another and with the music coming from the band marching in front of them. All of them had smiles on and moved with perfect grace.

The last few images were of her life with her husband and two boys. They all had the family smiling, laughing, and enjoying their lives.

When the last image faded, so did the sphere. Everyone was silent. No one would've guessed what this girl had gone through. She was always so cheerful and smiling. Even Michio seemed surprised by what he saw. Apparently, she never told him about her tough childhood. Tomoe's voice broke through the silence.

"Everyone, I did not show you this so that you would pity her. I wanted to show you, that even through pain and suffering, you can find happiness. She did, so can you. This young woman has gone through very tough times. Her childhood was spent in a hospital, and is where she saw her first ghost. She didn't fear it, instead, she questioned it, and tried to help it. Since then, she's been trying to help all those around her, living or dead. She knows that she can't help everyone, but is willing to help anyone she encouters. Does that sound like anyone you know?"

Kenshin smiled. "Aa...someone sessha knows _very_ well."

"Kami-sama has decided to let all of you know that you have all earned your happiness, you just need to grasp it and take care of it as best you can. Kenshin-anata, I did love you, and I know that you loved me too, but I also know that there is another who you love even more. I want you to know that it's okay. Don't you dare let her go!"

"Hai," he whispered, gripping Kaoru's hand tighter.

With a small smile, Tomoe finally left Catherine. Catherine's eyes opened to reveal their true blue. After regaining her breath yet again she asked, "What did I miss this time?" Everyone laughed. "Nothing that you haven't already seen, koishii," Michio said, kissing her forehead. "But now, we all have some questions. thought I think they can wait until morning."

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	15. Understanding

Chapter 15-Understanding

Kenshin had stayed awake all night on the roof top, pondering over what Tomoe had said and shown.

_'Catherine has gone through so much, that she has. What was with her eyes? They had definitely been the same as mine as Battousai. Perhaps she has a piece of him as well? Can I really grant myself the happiness I seek with Kaoru-dono, knowing that Battousai will be part of our decendants? After seeing how she has suffered, I don't know if I really want to be the one to give life to a person, knowing that they will suffer through the beginning of it.'_

Then he thought about how Catherine was now, smiling, enjoying her life with her family. He also thought of what Tomoe had told him. '_She is happy now, even after what she has been through, she has managed to smile and find peace and happiness, just as you should."_

As the sun dawned, Kenshin had his answer.

_'No_w, _I understand what she meant...."_

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Catherine was the first one up, and walked into the kitchen, only to see Kenshin cooking breakfast. He turned to her and smiled. "Ohaiyo," he said. "Ohaiyo," she replied, with a smile of her own. She then began to get the dishes out to set the table. There was a loud cry, followed by a second one. Catherine smiled sheepishly at Kenshin, who gave her a reassuring smile. She then proceeded to return to her room, only to be met by her husband, carrying the twins. They sat at the table, and Catherine held Misao while Michio cover her with a blanket. She then did the morning ritual of feeding the babies. By the time they were finished, the rest of the Kenshin-gumi entered the dining area.

"Man, with babies in the house, I don't think I'll ever get to sleep in," Yahiko moaned.

"Well, at least they make a good alarm clock, so that you won't ever be late for breakfast," Michio commented.

"What's an alarm clock?" he asked, puzzled.

"It's a clock that you can set to wake you up at a certain time," Michio explained.

Still not really getting it, Yahiko just shrugged his shoulders and sat down. Everyone else had taken their seats, and Kaoru began to serve them all. As they began to eat, the usual morning bickering began. _' I guess some things will never change,"_ Kenshin thought.

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After breakfast, Catherine and Michio did the dishes while the twins slept. Kenshin entered the kitchen, having a question about something he saw last night.

"Ano...Michio-san...sessha was wondering if you could ask your wife a question for me."

"Of course! What is it that you would like to know?"

"Sessha was wondering what happened between her and her sister, why her sister tried to kill her and what she said that seemed to hurt her sister so much, and if they resolved their differences or not..."

Catherine didn't seem surprised by his question. '_Michio-san must have filled her in on what we witnessed,'_ Kenshin thought.

"Well, when she was suffocating me when I was young, in my mind, I was screaming, 'I forgive you.' I wondered why she was doing it, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to hate her. I learned later that her friend had committed suicide, and I figured that she was upset that I seemed to be able to smile through my pain, and yet her friend couldn't. As for the fight we had when we were older, I had been taking care of her son while she worked. I was fifteen at the time. She would come by the house, drop him off and go to work. She didn't spend any time with him. She was divorced, and she and her ex-husband shared custody. Since he lived in another state, her son would come for a few weeks during the summer and winter. She never tried to take time from work when she knew her son would be there. I knew that she could've gotten time off. Her boss was a very nice man, but she never did. She just left him at our parents' house. Since I was with him most of the time, he grew attatched to me. One day, he had called me, mother. I immediately corrected him, telling him that I was his aunt and that my sister was his mother. My sister was there, and heard it all. She became very angry, and started yelling at me, saying that I was trying to take over and be his mother. I got upset by her accusations and yelled back, 'He wouldn't call me that unless you were there for him! You don't seem to care about your own son, only about work! He doesn't need you to give him toys, he just needs you to be with him. Play with him and take care of him!' She looked at me strangely, and I ran off to my room. It was then that I noticed my eyes had changed color, they were a deep amber. It scared me, and I tried my best to calm myself. I started to clean, and my brother came in to check on me. She didn't speak to me for six years, but then she suddenly changed. She was genuinely nice to me, and we had civil conversations. I knew that she had forgiven me without her even having to say anything. Just her inviting me places, telling me about her day, and asking me about how I was feeling showed me that she cared."

Kenshin was amazed at how fast she had forgiven her sister, even after all she put her through. She even learned to forgive herself for the hurtful things she had said to her sister. They got along fine now, and for some reason, that made Kenshin feel very relieved.

"Arigatou, for sharing your story with me," he said.

"Dooitashimashite," Catherine replied with a small smile.

Kenshin smiled back, and then walked in search of Kaoru.

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Aoshi and Shinta were playing in the front yard, being watched by Misao and Aoshi, Yahiko had run off to the Akebeko, and Sano had went out to see Megumi at the clinic. Kenshin thought it was a time to talk to Kaoru. '_The weather is so beautiful. It's perfect to go on a walk,'_ he thought. Kenshin continued in his search for Kaoru. He found her sitting on the engawa outside her bedroom, reading a book.

"Kaoru," he called.

Kaoru looked up at him. "Hai, Kenshin. Is there something you want?"

"Ano, sessha was wondering if you wanted to join him for a walk."

Kaoru blushed. "Hai, that would be lovely. Let me just put this away, and I'll meet you at the gate, okay?"

"Hai."

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Kenshin and Kaoru had been walking for a while and had ended up near the river. They decided to sit under a tree and relax a bit. They were sitting in a peaceful silence when Kaoru spoke up.

"It really is a beautiful day."

"Hai. Very beautiful," Kenshin replied, gazing at her.

Kaoru blushed prettily, and looked at the ground.

"Kaoru, sessha has something that he wants to say..." he said, looking toward the river.

"Well, what is it?" Kaoru asked, watching him.

"Sessha has been thinking over what Tomoe had said last night. Ses- ano- I think I understand now. She had shown me through my decendant, that it's okay to be happy. Everyone suffers,some more than others, but it's how we deal with the pain and guilt of what we have done, that allows us to either get stuck in the past and our sorrows, or how to learn from them and move on. I saw how Catherine had dealt with suffering from illnesses, and learned from her this morning how she dealt with the guilt she carried of being a burden to her family and saying unkind words to her sister. She understood how her sister felt, and their relationship grew from her willingness to forgive her and herself..." Kenshin paused for a moment, and turned towards Kaoru.

"I think that I am ready to forgive myself and to move on. I know I can't do it on my own, and I was wondering, if you could be the one to help me. I need you, and I don't think I can do it without you."

Kaoru looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Of course I'll help you, you silly man! I need you too!" she cried. Kenshin held her, happy to know that she was willing to be there in his time of need.

"Ano, Kaoru, sessha was wondering, if you wouldn't mind, allowing sessha to perhaps, be your husband?"

"Oh Kenshin! Of course! There's no one else I'd rather be with than you."

Kenshin's face lit up and he leaned down and gave Kaoru a sweet kiss.

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Back at the dojo, Misao had been running around with Shinta and chibi-Aoshi. They had tired her out, so she decided to sit down and rest next to Aoshi, who was meditating with his eyes closed.

"Kids sure can give you a work-out!" she huffed.

"Aa."

"Ano, Aoshi-sama...do you ever think about having children?"

"Aa."

"Oh? Since when?"

"Last week."

"Hmm."

"Misao."

"Hai, Aoshi-sama?"

"I don't my fiance should be calling me -sama."

"WHAT?! You mean?!"

"Aa."

Misao hugged Aoshi tightly with a giant smile on her face. Aoshi didn't hug her back or open his eyes, but he had the tiniest of smiles on his face.

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a/n Yay! Everyone is together! Yayness!!


	16. Going HomeEpilogue

Chapter 16 - Going Home/Epilogue

Catherine had seen Tomoe and Hannya again the following morning.

"It's time for you to return to your time," Tomoe had said.

"Thank you, for all that you have done for us, and for them," Hannya added.

"Can we say goodbye?" Catherine asked.

"Hai," Tomoe replied with a smile.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Catherine had told Michio and the children that they were going back home. Michio then told everyone at the dojo. They all gave each other hugs. Misao and Kaoru were crying.

"I'm so glad I got to meet all of you!! I'm going to miss you chibi-chan!" Misao wailed while hugging little Aoshi. Aoshi hugged her back, with tears of his own.

"I'm going to miss you too, Misao-san!"

Kenshin knelt down so he was level with Shinta. "I'm going to miss you little one. Take good care of your mother and sisters, okay?" Shinta nodded, then wrapped his arms around Kenshin's neck. "Arigatou for helping me and okaa-san." Kenshin hugged him back. "You're very welcome, little one."

Shinta let him go and ran to give Kaoru a big hug.

Little Aoshi ran up to Aoshi and raised his arms. Aoshi bent down and picked up the child. Little Aoshi then wrapped his arms around his neck. "Arigatou for helping me and otou-san find Shinta and okaa-san." "You're welcome, chibi-chan," Aoshi replied with a small smile. "I'm glad to have met you." Little Aoshi just hugged him tighter.

Aoshi then put little Aoshi down. He ran to his father and grabbed onto his father's right hand with his left and Shinta's hand with his right. Catherine held the twins and Michio had his left arm around her shoulders. "Arigatou, minna-san. For everything," Michio said. With that, a white light enveloped them, and they were gone.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

The Shinmori family returned to the place where their journey had begun. Time didn't seem to have passed at all since they were gone. They still had a month left of vacation time, which they spent at the dojo. Before their trip back home, they all vowed to never tell anyone about their trip to the past.

And so the years went by, Shinta and Aoshi grew up and had families of their own. Both would tell their children the same bedtime story, of a family who went to visit the place of their ancestors, and ended up meeting their ancestors instead.

OWARI

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a/n My work is now complete! And there was much rejoicing throughtout the land....yay!


End file.
